Homemade Canoe Seats

Virtually every canoe built these days comes with seats. Gone are the days of the purist canoe with thwarts only. They may be uncomfortable, hard and awkward, but most modern canoes, no matter how inexpensive, will have something to sit on. If, however, you do own one of those ancient no-seaters or a damaged or missing or just plain horrific seat, some comfortable homemade canoe seats are not too hard to build.

  1. Sling Seats

    • One solution for missing seats is to put some sort of sling in place. Just drill a pair of holes on either side of the hull at the right height and then sling a canvas strap or flexible swingset seat between them. If there is a thwart in place at the bow and stern sitting positions, sling the strap in front of the thwart and put the eyelets just below the gunwales (top of the canoe sides) where the hull is strongly supported. Use washers to reduce the pressure of the bolts on the holes. Slings work best in stiff wooden or aluminum-hulled boats.

    Webbed Seats

    • Webbed seats provide nice drainage and an airy paddling perch. The trick is to build a tube frame like a lawn chair seat between the hulls. Electrical conduit works well and can be bent with a conduit bending tool and flattened for drilling holes. Make a pair of upside down U's with 4-inch legs and flatten the legs. Drill and bolt them to the hull about 8 inches apart fore and aft. Next make another pair of U's, flatten the legs, drill and bolt them to the cross member supports so they form a square open tube frame bolted between the hulls. Buy some lawn-chair webbing and follow the instructions for installing the webbing. You'll have to drill a series of small holes underneath the square conduit frame for screwing the ends of the webbing into the frame.

    Wooden Seats

    • To build a wooden seat, screw a pair of 1-by-4s cut to fit across the inside the hull about 8 inches apart at a comfortable sitting height. Use two round-headed screws with washers to secure each end of the 1-by-4s to the hull. Put rubber sealant in the holes with flat washers before screwing down the screws that hold the cross members. Next, cut a flat marine plywood plank the size of the seat top and use waterproof glue and screws to attach it to the top of the seat. Use a router to round the edges. To allow for drainage, cut 1/2-inch wide slits running fore and aft in the top of the seat. Drill start holes opposite each other an inch from the leading and trailing edges of the seat top and 2 inches apart horizontally.. Then, cut a 3/8-inch slit between the pairs of start holes with a saber saw. Sand, stain and varnish it all with marine spar varnish. Not only is the seat attractive, but it strengthens the hull of your canoe.