I picked up a used Dagger Venture 17 in Rx today. Beautiful boat for the family and I'm looking forward to soloing on some rivers this summer. It has a 3rd seat installed a little forward of center so I'm thinking I'm going to need a clamp-on yoke. It'll need to be a 37" yoke, made for tandems, as this boat weighs about 80lbs(I'm guessing-didn't drag the scale outside yet). I see that Northstar has one that would fit the bill for a hefty $140 or so.

The Venture has also got wooden gunwales so I'm wondering if the clamps will be hard on the wood and if the round shape of the wood causes issues with these clamps slipping or needing some real tight cranking. They are in great shape after some light sanding and oiling today so I'm not worried about them being soft. Do these clamps tend to eat away at the gunwales over time? Anyone got a good workaround for avoiding damage?

I made my own clamp-on yoke system from a conventional portage thwart ($30 or so from Wenonah yoke ). My clamp is made from angle aluminum, carriage bolts, and a threaded knob (e.g. knob (wing-nuts also work)). You can also make the clamp from wood (yokes for PakBoats have wood clamps, and they work well). Regarding damage to the gunnel, I have mostly aluminum gunnels on my boats, but wood on wood shouldn't cause any damage--maybe a scuff or indentation.

Your Dagger Venture had a center thwart/yoke originally. For a boat that heavy I think going back to a permanent yoke would be better. Sounds like the added seat possibly uses the yoke position for one of its attachment points if it is forward of center. I would recommend removing the middle seat, placing a permanent yoke and placing the middle seat elsewhere that fits your family or solo needs.

When setting it up for your solo river adventures be aware that the hull is assymetrical with more rocker in the bow than the stern. It would not handle well simply turning it around and paddling from the bow seat. You could place your extra seat toward the stern from the yoke and use it when you solo.

The 1998 catalog list the Venture 17 with wood trim at 69 pounds. I think they always listed weight for the lightest hull ever produced. It could be as much as 75.

Thanks to both of you.

Sedges, I think you're absolutely right about the perminent yoke. I really need to be confident in carrying that thing and from what I've seen on some prior trips with kayakers, clamps can be finnicky.

I have clamp-on yokes for my two solo canoes. Its not a big deal with the 30# one, but with the 48#er its got to be real tight to use the yoke to lift and flip on to shoulders. I've had it come loose one time and results might have been amusing on youtube, but caused a lot of pain.

If you are lifting solo using the yoke to flip the canoe on to your shoulders I would definitely recommend a fixed yoke.

You will enjoy the Venture. Steve Scarborough designed some real good boats.

I think the Venture was about 75lbs? IMHO, a clamp-on yoke may slip off the gunwales during loading and unloading to and from shoulders? I have had them slip with solo boats before and you can hurt yourself! With a boat THAT weight, you may not damage a bomb-proof Dagger hull, but your body or your vehicle MAY sustain a nasty blow? I would do what I do and have done in the past, attach a good yoke with bolt and wind-nuts. Just takes slightly longer and will be much more secure. Keep an extra wing nut or two.

Oh, and inexpensive, quality yokes, seats, thwarts, etc. can be purchased from Ed's Canoe. They will fix you right up if they don't already have one that fits.
Ed's Canoe

+1 on Ed's Canoes. Quality stuff at good prices.

OOPS, that was supposed to be WING nuts!