Hey folks, first time poster and new paddler, would appreciate your
help:

Bought a used Old Town Penobscot 16. Sometime in the boat's storied
past, a rip on the side was repaired. The damage was a broken
gunwhale on the left side about halfway between the midpoint and the
bow and a rip in the royalex below the broken gunwhale. The repair
was epoxy (i presume) for the rip and a steel plate joining the broken
gunwhale.

It looks like the bow seat may have been moved up. The canoe is
porportioned (approx) as follows:

stern -- 38" -- stern seat -- 38" -- thwart -- 36" -- carry
yoke -- 18" -- bow seat -- 68" -- bow

So if there are sixten feet of canoe, the stern seat is at 1 (or 7
feet from midpoint of canoe), and the bow seat is at 10 (or 2 feet
from midpoint of canoe). The bow seat doesn't "feel" right, in that
there is not much lateral room for my feet.

It appears that the bow seat has been moved forward 8.5" or so (the
same distance as the spread of the seat pillars). I conclude this
because there are screwholes that have nothing attached behind the bow
seat.

The previous owner told me that he installed the carry yoke himself
(and the carry yoke is not at canoe mid-point).

My questions a

1) Aren't carrying yokes supposed to be installed at the midpoint?

2) Are there guidelines for position of seats for proper weight
distribution? I weigh 190#, and will be paddling with partners
ranging from 105lbs to 185lbs, with cargo loads of up to 150lbs in the
middle on touring trips.

Thanks much for your help!

The portage yoke shoud be at whatever point the canoe's weight is balanced for
carrying purposes. The manufacturer does this according to the canoes
manufactured weight and layout. If either has changed, or been cahnged, it may
be necessary to adjust the yoke position, or simply put up with a canoe which
is a liitle heavier on one end when portaged. As far as the layout, I use
tandem canoes for solo wilderness tripping and routinely move seats, thwarts
and yokes to suit my needs. (My weight and comfort, size and distribution of
gear items, etc.) Many people would hesitate to do so with a new canoe, but in
your case, I would simply move the seats and/or yoke and thwarts to suit my
specific need. Under way, the canoe should be trim, meaning level in the water.
If the seats are fixed and the paddlers weight and gear weight change the trim,
moving gear fore or aft is often required. If you already know how you plan on
using the canoe, make a few test runs to determine the best position of seats,
etc. for you needs. In my experience, these changes have little or no effect on
the strucural entegrity of the hull, if done properly. (Proper and secure
mounting, hardware etc.)
" If clean air and water and a healthy environment have not harmed you, please
reciprocate."

Guy wrote:
1) Aren't carrying yokes supposed to be installed at the midpoint?
The portage yoke should be positioned so that the boat will balance on
your shoulders without any hands. Portage pads, secured loads, repairs,
etc. (and personal taste) may affect that, however.

2) Are there guidelines for position of seats for proper weight
distribution? I weigh 190#, and will be paddling with partners
ranging from 105lbs to 185lbs, with cargo loads of up to 150lbs in the
middle on touring trips.

First thing I did to my P16 was to move the bow seat forward one full
width (just use the front holes for the rear and trim down the seat a
little. That balanced the boat a lot better for me (195 stern and 135
bow with about 100lb of gear. You can always adjust where you stow gear
a little to balance it better.

Marsh Jones
Minneapolis
Thanks much for your help!