I'm planning a new frame for a new boat. I want to sit on the cooler so the front can be a frame height platform for passengers and dogs. I'm looking at the DRE flip seat to go over the cooler, but the cooler adds 5-6" of height to my sitting height. I already run tall NRS oar stands (8") on my current boat. So if I add another 5-6", I'd need/want oar stands 13-14" tall. the stock DRE oar stand is 11", but I think they'll make them longer.
I just wanted to get some feedback from folks that use 11" ones, or even longer, to make sure they are bomber. I don't want to use rainbows/curved tubing just because it is more places for the pups to get caught up in and perhaps hurt or trapped.
Have DRE make them longer than needed. The price of the pipe is not the major cost for thier oar towers, its the cast alluminum bracket. They can be cut down in increments so they are just right. They have been more than accomidating for my custom stuff.
Just an observation but DRE and NRS use different dimension pipe, so it might be a problem if you are buying a new NRS frame and trying to put the DRE oar towers on it. Plan ahead. I am not sure if Hollander fittings work on the NRS OD pipe.
I vaguely recall them telling me last year they could do it, but I do have an email in to them to make sure.
L
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shiryas
Just an observation but DRE and NRS use different dimension pipe, so it might be a problem if you are buying a new NRS frame and trying to put the DRE oar towers on it. Plan ahead. I am not sure if Hollander fittings work on the NRS OD pipe.
try out your "theoretical" new setup before you bite the bullet and make the purchase of a new frame with the flip seat and taller oar stands. i swapped up things in my boat (13' otter sb) earlier this spring to where i was sitting on my drybox, which is a large action packer. i didn't like sitting up so high, because i didn't feel like i had as much "purchase" with my oars. so now what i do is put my drybox in the rear compartment of the boat, put tables/chairs under my seat, and put the dog's platform on top of the drybox so that it rests on that and the rear of the boat. we just did a 3-day trip with this setup, and it worked out really well. just a thought. i'd hate for you to buy a whole new setup to be disappointed.
I'm moving from the same boat as you (18" tubes) to a 14' boat with 20" tubes. I find something weird about the Otter. I've played around with the rigging to no end, and have never been happy with it. I've had the tall oarlocks on it this year, and it feels better. So I know if I go to sitting on a cooler, I'll need even taller oarstands. It seems like it is fairly common with 14' and up boats, but so far mostly what I've seen are the "rainbows" that curve up to give more height to the oarlocks. I don't want that.
Plus, we're going to minimize the height the cooler sticks above the frame, I think we only have to deal with 5" or so. the other benefit is that then it changes the geometry of the cockpit, it doesn't need to be so long so then we can fit a drybox and drop bag up front.
If others have tried this, good or bad, I'd like to hear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_dude
try out your "theoretical" new setup before you bite the bullet and make the purchase of a new frame with the flip seat and taller oar stands. i swapped up things in my boat (13' otter sb) earlier this spring to where i was sitting on my drybox, which is a large action packer. i didn't like sitting up so high, because i didn't feel like i had as much "purchase" with my oars. so now what i do is put my drybox in the rear compartment of the boat, put tables/chairs under my seat, and put the dog's platform on top of the drybox so that it rests on that and the rear of the boat. we just did a 3-day trip with this setup, and it worked out really well. just a thought. i'd hate for you to buy a whole new setup to be disappointed.
If the major suppliers aren't making a thing, you have to ask yourself why not.
With a really high seat and extra-long oarstands, you'd need super-long oars to get the right angle in the water.
Sitting that high, you'd also get whipped around in rough water: your body would be traversing a longer arc.
Seems like you might re-examine your starting points.
Having the heaviest single piece (cooler) close to the center of trim makes sense. Would it also make sense to get a cooler that doesn't stick up so high (6") above the frame? I've seen coolers with fairly flush lids. Spending some cash for one like that would save you mucho dinero on all the rest of the components, plus you'd get a rig with a better feel.
Donate the old cooler to some church group, and take a deduction.
The truth is that because there is more of the oar outside the stand than inside, the additional height of the stand will be a function of that ratio. I have a DRE captains seat that a cooler fits under and actually had to cut a little off of my stands.
I would load the boat the way you intend, put it in the water and then adjust the stands up and down until they feel right. I think you will find them plenty long the way they build them stock.
If the major suppliers aren't making a thing, you have to ask yourself why not.
With a really high seat and extra-long oarstands, you'd need super-long oars to get the right angle in the water.
Sitting that high, you'd also get whipped around in rough water: your body would be traversing a longer arc.
Seems like you might re-examine your starting points.
Having the heaviest single piece (cooler) close to the center of trim makes sense. Would it also make sense to get a cooler that doesn't stick up so high (6") above the frame? I've seen coolers with fairly flush lids. Spending some cash for one like that would save you mucho dinero on all the rest of the components, plus you'd get a rig with a better feel.
Donate the old cooler to some church group, and take a deduction.
Chip
Agreed here with getting most of the weight to the center. One of the distinct advantages that a 'round nose' SB has over a loaded cat is that they spin better- but only when they are loaded properly. They spin best when the tubes- and the floor- nearly equally support the weight of dry boxes, coolers etc. I learned this from the original owner of DownRiver many years ago. And it's not the easiest thing to nail down. but when it's done properly, you can take a fully loaded 16' Hyside (t-box, dry box, 178 qt cooler etc.) and move it anywhere you want in the river. And yes, I've found that cats track (straight) better, but each has it's own distinctive merits. So you may want to think about building your frame/cooler setup from the floor up- then decide on the oar heights. Leaving them tall and cutting them down is great advice as well.
why does your cooler stick up so high? How is it suspended from the frame? can it be dropped? I suspend mine from two cam straps, no fancy metal brackets, so its fully adjustable.
I would try dropping the cooler before extending the towers.
Thanks for the advice everyone. Since I don't have this boat yet, I'm making some assumptions. But the problem with the cooler is opening it in place. The igloo latches would have to be above the bar to open the cooler. If the cooler is suspended plenty high, we'll probably just take those latches off and let friction and a cam strap hold it shut (like most coolers).
I'm glad to hear from another person who uses the DRE flip seat and oar stands. I don't think it is completely a weird geometry, there are a lot of people that sit on coolers and such, and everyone that runs the grand does so (I'm sure there are some exceptions, even then the coolers stick up because as the boat gets wider, the cooler gets bigger and taller so it still sticks up). Many people I see using just the 8" high oar stands end up bent over a bit, and I don't like the idea of doing that. Sure, I'll probably end up with longer oars, but I like long oars anyways (9.5 on a 13' boat).
Fortunately we aren't going to be in a hurry to sell our current boat, so I can try the tall NRS stands I have, use a wood platform temporarily on the cooler, and get it dialed in before I decide to make purchases. One person on another forum, for figuring out oar length, had a great, and simple idea. Sit in the boat on the ground, take the blades off the oars. When the shafts touch the ground, that will simulate water. This weekend I played around with my desired hand position, and then tried to figure out where my hands would be for a boat sitting on the ground, instead of "in" the water. I think my hands just under should height will be a good test for on the ground.
I also do want the cooler in the back, especially for day trips we end up with way too much weight up front (1 person, 2 dogs, cooler) so I believe this will help with our weight distribution. On multi-days we'll need to pack heavy stuff under the front seat to overcome the weight of gear in the stern.
Linear Mode
