So I am hoping for some advice on a yoke addition to my newish-to-me canoe.

Bought this almost a year ago by family proxy in Vermont, and it eventually came to me in MN a couple weeks ago. I finally got to see it in person, and it’s even nicer than I thought…might be too nice to trip in.

It’s a 27 year old Jensen 18 that looks close to new. Wood inwales (mahogany? something almost black) and decks (cherry?). I weigh it at just under 38#.

The trick is it does not have a yoke, but rather a standard aluminum thwart in the middle.

Normally this should be an easy swap, but I am concerned about the load this will put on the thin strip of wood that is the inwale.

Thought I would start here rather in the Gear forum, in the hopes that you builder types might have some thoughts on the strength of the inwale and type of connection one might use to secure a wood yoke.

?

Edit - all quiet on the western front, so I am going to post this over on the Gear Forum.

It appears to me, you could swap out the yoke, You might want to bevel the wood replacement yoke, to match the underside of the inwhale.
I wouldn't drill any more holes.

Jim