CartCanoe Stabilizer Pictures
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| Ethafoam float style stabilizer - economical, lighter, more compact and fine for paddling. - DISCONTINUED | Hydrodynamic float style - more streamlined, stronger, bigger floats - less drag, more bouyancy, less splash - preferred for motoring or sailing over ethafoam float style. Cost difference is about $100. | Closeup of the heavy-duty gunwale clamps used on both stabilizer styles. Clamps slides along crossbar to align with gunwale lip, then tighten hand nuts to clamp stabilizer down to canoe. |
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| Ethafoam style shown pulled in tight to the canoe. Just push the spring button down that locks the in/out adjustment and slide the float in or out. | Hydrodynamic style stabilizers shown pulled in tight to the canoe. | Comparison of the 2 pontoon styles. Both are about 6 inches in diameter at their widest, but hydrodynamic style is longer (42 inches vs. 26) and tapers to a point at both ends. Ethafoam stays full diameter end to end, except for angle cut at lower half of each end. Hydrodynamic float is about 15% greater volume. Another difference is that center post is longer on hydrodynamic style, and is removable for storage and transporting off the boat, while ethafoam style is has fixed center post. |
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Ethafoam stabilizer float in down position. Ethafoam float is a solid, resilient foam. It's not floppy and not brittle. It doesn't flake if you scrape it or break if you drop it. It has a little bit of "give" if you press on it, then regains its shape. |
Hydrodynamic stabilizer float in up position. Hydrodynamic float is hollow and made of a very tough plastic, like most of today's kayaks and canoes. It is warranteed for 5 years against leakage. Every float gets a submersion test before shipment. |
Closeup of clamp, which is operated by large hand knob. Loosen clamp to change pontoon height on the outrigger. Grip of clamp is really firm, making the convenient single-post float design possible. Why fiddle with 2 posts per float if you can make your clamp strong enough so that 1 works great? |
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| Each float arm extends out 22 inches from the end of the crossbar (the center piece you clamp to your canoe that the float are slides in and out of). So, for example, with a 40" crossbar, the entire assembly is 40 22 22 = 84" wide (7 feet). | The crossbar has to be long enough to span your canoe at the location where you plan to install it, but longer than necessary is no problem. In fact, an over-long crossbar gives your stabilizer setup a wider stance, and therefore more stabilizing power. Longer also makes it more universal (able to fit many different canoes). Crossbars come in 30", 36", 40" and 45" standard sizes or for $10 more, and reasonable custom size. |
Crossbar that is just long enough to span, plus an inch on each side, makes a nice trim fit that's easy to install. You decide whether you want a trim fitting crossbar or one with more overhang on your canoe. Note that these pictures show a canoe with an inside lip on the gunwale to accept clamps. Some canoes have little or no inside lip but a good outside lip. You need 2 inches of overhang or more on each side to put the gunwale clamps on the outside. (Total 4 inches) |
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| Closeup of the crossbar showing spring button holes. A spring button on the telescoping float arm pops up through a hole in the crossbar to lock the in/out adjustment. There are two tubes inside the crossbar, so 2 sets of holes. | On the hydrodynamic style float, you can remove the center post just by pulling out the pin that secures the post to the float. An elastic keeps you from losing the pin. A ring in the end of the pin makes it easy to hook your finger in and pull. | A groove in the top of the hydrodynamic float accepts the center post for storage and transporting. Re-insert the pin to hold the post in place, now in it compact, horizontal position. |
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Questions? Call Jim at 978 263 7598 or email him at Jim@SailboatsToGo.com He's happy to take orders over the phone. Or, click here, to go to a page with ordering links. |
| Accessories: We offer a bench seat that clamps on top of the stabilizer crossbar and can be used as a seat or a work surface. For this, you install the crossbar with the spring-button holes facing down, so you can still get at them to adjust the floats in and out. | Optional carry bag will fit all pieces of the stabilizer system, including both floats of either float style. Keeps the parts together and makes it neat and easy to carry and store. | The same stabilizer system forms a major part of the front assembly for our canoe sail kit. Once you have the stabilizer, you can add the rest of the parts of the canoe sail kit at any time, and receive full credit for the cost of the stabilizer toward the sail kit price. |
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