Installing swivel seats in a sportspal canoe

[trouting101]

I have a 14' wide transom canoe that I would like to install a set of swivel seats in and was wondering if anybody that owns one ever did that.I would like any information on how about to do so.

[gil]

I have a 14' pointed sportspal and I have added my own seats to it. They are however not swivel seats. There really isn't room to swivel around in a canoe and there is nowhere solid to mount the base! How I built my seats is simple and typical of canoe seats. The seat board( 3/8 plywood with a alum angle on bottom as a stiffener) is suspended from aluminum straps which are riveted to the aluminum gunwales! Be sure and not mount your seat too high(makes it more tippy!) After you mount the seat you could mount a swivel seat on this seat board. Once again you proly won't have room to truly swivel around like in a bigger craft! Hope this helps!

 

Gil

 

14' Sportspal canoe

One hell of a fishin machine

[frozen-fire]

Contact jediangler. Send him a PM.

 

I bought my 14' wide transom sportspal canoe from him and it was equipped with 2 removable swivel seats and cup holders. Excellent craftsmanship.

The canoe is stored in the garage right now, so I can't get any pics.

 

I agree that it is one hell of a fishing machine. I've landed lots of fish in it, including muskie.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

don't use anything heavy or mount them too high.

it makes the normally rock solid sportspal topheavy and tippy.

otherwise, i've seen really really sweet sportspals on this site, so i'm sure someone can share an exact plan they used.

[jediangler]

I received a PM and sent these pics to trouting101 but thought I should post them here as well, in case anyone else is thinking of adding swivel, quick release seats to their Sportspals. I added hockey sticks to raise and strengthen the existing wooden seat cross bars to support the weight of my fairly stout fishing partner and lift the seating position a few inches. With the added height we never had so much as a close call and didn't notice any difference in balance or tippiness.

The black squares are the quick release mounts, the seats (with swivel bases attached) slide easily into them and lock into place.

By lifting the lever with one finger the seats will slide right back out again for storage in your trunk so you can car-top the Sportspal.

My buddy copied my design on his smaller Sportspal and brought his dog along to stand guard.

This way you have seats that are so comfortable you can spend all day on the water and still car-top the boats at the end of the day.

 

Anyone with any other Sportspal questions, feel free to ask here or PM me.

[joonmoon]

Yup fished many a times in the pal and landed some real beauties too. I'm over 220lbs and Jedis' regular angling bud was about the same maybe a bit heavier. No give in the hockey stick framing so no worries bout flex or being unstable. I had room to carefully spin right around and snap pics of my bro and the pal remained true in the water.

Heres the boys.

 

I spun round to take this pic.

 

This is my PB Ski caught without too much trouble and landed by a pro...in the pal.

[Cal]

The hokey stick thing is a great idea, how did you fasten the sticks to the existing seating frame?

[Cal]

Also where did you purchase the quick release mechanism?

[lew]

52 minutes ago, Cal said:

Also where did you purchase the quick release mechanism?

May be tough for you to get the answer your looking for, this thread is 11 years old.

[smitty55]

9 hours ago, lew said:

May be tough for you to get the answer your looking for, this thread is 11 years old.

True, I have 2 of those quick release mounts that I use in my old 14 ft tinner. Work real good, nice and solid too.  This would be back in the later 80s when I bought them, I'm thinking it was from Le Barons in Ottawa, I know that's where I bought the seats.

[Hack_Fisherman]

An old thread for sure but a good one to resurface. It’s a good mod. I have fiberglass Scott square stern that sucks to sit in all day. It’s wide and super stable and would be a good candidate for this if I bring it back out to use

Edited August 1, 2021 by Hack_Fisherman

[Cal]

Also where did you purchase the quick release mechanism?

[Cal]

Another question about sportspal. How do I  connect a transducer to my canoe? Ive tried an alligator clips and copper pipe. 
Broke the transducer off yesterday. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Cal

[misfish]

12 minutes ago, Cal said:

Also where did you purchase the quick release mechanism?

.38 sec to find

 

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=quick+release+boat+seat+mount&gclid=CjwKCAjwr56IBhAvEiwA1fuqGleA11J0YT5mPW_6_Z-G1k3S-peXiasI0zgj210f-PN3R3E3vl3WfBoCl94QAvD_BwE&hvadid=325035808249&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000801&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3571830295710635345&hvtargid=kwd-319681382378&hydadcr=1966_10286097&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_52xcavtu1h_e

[Hack_Fisherman]

3 hours ago, Cal said:

Another question about sportspal. How do I  connect a transducer to my canoe? Ive tried an alligator clips and copper pipe. 
Broke the transducer off yesterday. 

Is yours a square stern? 

I use an older humminbird portable with a suction cup transducer on the stern. I clip the cable tight to a tie off in case it falls off and it has. (I don’t want it getting in the prop)

 

You could go to a metal shop and have them bend a piece of 1/8” aluminum into an upside down J and hook it over the transom or gunnel. This is what I did with my portable when I got my first boat. (I knew I wasn’t keeping the boat so I wasn’t putting in anything permanent)

[Gil Levesque]

Just any clamp will work fine! McGyver up  something like this with whatever you have around!