JEM Watercraft

Ok someone out there must have the trick to fitting canoe seats that work. I'm in the final stages of completing the Sasquatch 14 and have decided on my seat position and started to install the seat. I have bought a nice cane seat. I have cut the seat to fit nicely over the top of the cleats and then I tried to position it and fasten it in. Sounds pretty simple but because the top panel of the Sasquatch pitches in can't seem to get the seat in there. Unfortunately I have already installed the thwarts so I can't bend out the sides at all. Has anyone else run into this and most of all does anyone have a solution aside from building a seat in place?

Presumably the seat is close to the longitudinal center so you can't put it in at a wider point and slide it back at the right height.

I had thought of putting 1 side in under the cleat, then get the other side tucked in just under the inwale and then lift the first side up over the cleat - but you've probably tried that already.

How about trimming the cleats down to be just thick enough to screw another piece onto. If this can be done it may allow positioning of the seat followed by screwing on the extra pieces for more support.

Final suggestion is to put up some photos of what you have tried, showing how everything is located. Somebody might be able to spot a solution from that.

Boat building really is all about problem solving isn't it?

Thanks for the advice. After wrestling with it for a while and a little sanding in the right places I managed to snap it into place. It looks great in this canoe.