Sportspal Canoe/mods

by camping crazy

17K197

Intro: Sportspal Canoe/mods

This instructable is just to show our canoe and what we have done to it. First off our canoe is a12ft  Sportspal; it is quite old but still in perfect condition. All we have done to it is made new seats (the old ones were for rowing) and added an anchor. Our anchor is a 3lb folding anchor with about 50ft of line. It works perfectly for this size canoe. The seats we made are 3/4 inch plywood with brackets on either end of the seat. The brackets bolt to the reinforced gunnels on both sides of the canoe (see picture 7). The pads on the seats are foam play mats that we cut and glued to the wood. The glue we used was pl 300 foamboard adhesive. The seats are very comfortable and at the perfect height for paddling. The canoe itself is extremely stable and it does not leak at all. Sportspal canoes are all one piece aircraft aluminum with a foam lined inside. They also have foam floats on either side so you can't tip. Their website says that you can fill them with water and they won't sink. You can row or paddle them and even better they are rigged for a sail. They are really good and only 35 pounds. Thanks for reading. Comments are welcome.

7 Comments

camping crazy 10 years ago

That's awesome!! Hope you get yours fixed!!! The seats are extremely stable and comfy but for any amount of paddling you need a backrest!!!

shalkeknemron 10 years ago

I too have one from the 70's and in good shape - came with foam seats that are long lost and I would like to install paddling seats like yours, mine is leaking so it is stripped of it's foam floor and aluminum ribs and I'm looking at riveted seams with dried out sealant - I was going to order that spray on stuff the guys prays on the boat with a screen door on the bottom but reviews says the stuff is useless and a drying rubberized undercoating in layers will do nicely or I may use an adhesive silicone sealant I'm fond of on all the seams and then I may tape the sealed seams with duck tape or gorilla tape for more long lasting sealant and will protect the sealant from impacts through the foam floor and should ensure another layer of waterproofness aye. I'm going to find some oars and try rowing But I was using a kayak paddle because of the short length and no keel - two swipes of the paddle and I'm turning, oars should be nice. thanks for yer post - they must have made many styles of construction as they changed hands over the years. Happy currents!

Kenoo2 11 years ago

I like the exterior foam bouyancy rails. They add stability and will hold up the boat when swamped, but any canoe can still tip. Don't be the Titanic!

darrenhall 11 years ago

Ha ha Kenn2 you are sooo right - my wife took out our clubs Canadian canoe on her own - went round a bend too quickly and corkscrewed it into the river - nearly wet myself laughing - till I had to drag the bugger out full of water and tow a shivering woman, a half full canoe, plus me, all with my poor ole Fatyak sit on about a mile back to the car - man I slept well that night.

darrenhall 11 years ago

Hi - she is a beautiful boat - we are in a boat club where we live and love to take out the Canadian the club owns.

I am intrigued though? - why has the paddle got the corner missing - what is the thing that looks like a grey chair with no legs - is it a flotation device or seat??. Also did you make that protector for the front of the boat as I would be really interested in how you got such a good finish and fit.

If you think of anymore boat ideas I will be scoping them out.

Take care.

DZ

camping crazy 11 years ago

Thanks it is an awesome boat!! When we bought it second hand the paddle was like that (someone probably hit a rock). The black things are seats that come originaly with this model they are for rowing and simply sit on the floor. The protector for the front is original we did not make it. Hope this helps! Thanks for commenting!!