BWCA Wenonah solo seat options Boundary Waters Gear Forum
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cyclones30
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04/23/2022 03:25PM  
I have an older solo WWC1(?) and the seat has seen better days. I'm also not a huge fan of tractor style seats so I'd rather swap for webbed if I'm doing the work of updating anyway. How easy or hard would that be? No hurry, but it's on the to do list at some point this year.



 
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cyclones30
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04/24/2022 10:58AM  
Anyone?
 
MReid
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04/24/2022 12:20PM  
You can remove the existing seat by cutting the fiberglass holding the frame. I'm not sure if the frame is epoxied to the hull, but if so you'll have to clean up the wood. I'd sand down all the edges, and then paint the inside of the hull a similar color. You can get web seats from a variety of sources (I think listed on the FB site where you posted the same thing). Then install the drops from the gunnels, probably best with pop rivets. After cutting the web seat, be sure to seal the ends, maybe with epoxy. It's all pretty straightforward. I'd suggest keeping the seat height similar to stock, as the C1W is a bit tender (I have one of the same vintage). Also note that by replacing the sliding bucket seat with a web seat, you'll lose the ability to adjust trim unladen. I have the same boat, and if anything, I'd replace the existing seat with a longer frame to allow better trim capacity. I have foam pads (either glued or encased in a nylon fabric) installed on all my bucket seats. Also you can drill holes in the seats to allow water drainage.
 
cyclones30
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04/24/2022 02:13PM  
Thanks, having the option to slide would be nice I think. But I've never slid w/ this one yet either.
 
MReid
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04/24/2022 02:37PM  
cyclones30: "Thanks, having the option to slide would be nice I think. But I've never slid w/ this one yet either. "

It helps a lot with trimming for wind.
 
BrianDay
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04/24/2022 04:42PM  
Hey Cyclones,

I can help with this.

First off, you've got an old one there. Wooden pedestal. The slide tubes on this pedestal are farther apart than our current solo pedestal spacing and the slide range is shorter.

My first recommendation is to add a 1" spring clamp and lose the hose clamp. The spring clamp is easy to find, people use them to hold weights onto dumbells. Put it behind the slide tube on the right side. This will prevent the seat from sliding rearward and will allow you to adjust trim by sliding the seat forward and backward. You'll really benefit from being able to adjust the trim in the canoe with the sliding seat. It makes a huge difference in the wind.

I would keep this seat and pad it with a Ridgerest pad. Spray adhesive on pad and seat. Stick them together. Trim around the edge using a fresh utility knife blade. If you hold the blade flat against that edge of the seat you can follow the contour of the seat precisely. If you aren't a fan of buckets this setup may change your mind. It is the most comfortable seating that I've found.

If you want to swap for the larger (new style) plastic Wenonah bucket you may be able to do so with this wider pedestal. We can't sell spares right now but should be able to later this year. If you call with the width of the front and rear tubes on the slide frame we can check to confirm that the new seat will fit. Pad as advised above. The big bucket is even more comfortable than the old small solo bucket when foamed out.

Finally, if you absolutely must change it out for web there are a couple ways to go. We use a section of 1 1/8" aluminum tubing with a 1" angle welded to it. One for each side of the seat. Drill through the seat and the angle in the correct spot and bolt the seat to the slide tubes. You can't use a web seat on your existing slide frame because it would raise your center of gravity by almost an inch and make the boat pretty tippy.

We can't sell those slide tubes right now because of shortages. If you want a DIY option try this. Source the 1 1//8" tubing and cut it to the width of the web seat front to back. Cut the tubing with a 45 degree angle at each end. This will allow you to drill through the tubing into the seat with a 1/8" drill bit. Long edge goes up contacting the seat. Use a 1/8" stainless steel rivet to secure each end of the tube to the seat frame. This is how we used to do web sliders. We went away from it because it's not very strong if you put a seat back on the seat. You can pry out the rivets.

I would not cut out the pedestal and hang a seat from the gunwales. The WWC-1 really needs a slider to paddle right in the wind.

Hope this helps. Give me a call if you have any more questions. If you google Wenonah Canoe our number comes right up. My extension is 133.

Best wishes,

Brian from Wenonah

 
cyclones30
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04/24/2022 06:23PM  
Thanks Brian, perfect!

Can't complain about the support for something that was made.....almost 40 years ago? I think it's from the 80s. And yeah the hose clamps were on there when I bought it and I haven't changed a thing until now.

I'll contemplate the pad, sounds cheap and simple enough that if I hate it I'm not out much and can still go other routes.
 
BrianDay
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04/25/2022 07:45AM  
Happy to help. Give us a call anytime you need a hand.

B
 
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