Adding a carry yoke

stevek

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hi everyone,Im not sure if this is the correct area for this posting but anyway.I have a OT hw cs and Im installing a carry yoke.Im looking for advice on as to what position I should put it.Should it go square center? or a little forward or aft of center? jst forward of center would makethe canoe rear heavy,but i think I might control the weight teeter with my painter line.Just aft of center would make forward heavy and putting some teeter weight on your forearms when you carry!
Should I try to balance the canoe on a single saw horse to find the perfect balance spot?
All advice appreciated before I drill my inwales THANKS
STEVE KONKO
 
Confirm with your tape measure, but the holes for the center thwart (or the centerline of the center thwart) should be equidistant from bow to stern.

If you install a yoke with a carve-out for the neck and use the existing center thwart holes, it should be balanced. If you just attach pads to a straight thwart, then your balance point will be fore of center and the canoe will be stern heavy. If your holes are not properly centered, then you could be either bow or stern heavy no matter what kind of yoke you use.

This link shows a canoe yoke with the carve-out for the neck. You would want to add pads to it for any kind of serious portaging.

http://www.rutabaga.com/product.asp?pid=1005868&redir=fromChild

If you want one of the best Minnesota-type yokes, refer to Cliff Jacobsen's book Expedition Canoeing, pages 53-56.
 
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