# Passenger footbar on the front of your cat?



## gmmccalden (Apr 23, 2013)

Anybody out there ever run a passenger footbar off the front crossbar of a cataraft frame?

It could work for my current multi-day setup if I put a passenger right up front, but they would need something to brace off of in whitewater. I row with towers right in the middle and have had a passenger directly behind me on a seatbar, but it's always a game of balancing all the weight front to back on multi-day trips and the passenger always ends up sitting up front on a paco most of the time anyways. On day runs a passenger is always up front to trim out the boat, but they have the cooler in front of me to sit on and an empty bay for feet. Would love to see photos if anybody's got em


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## Kendarflugen (Jan 31, 2006)

Yes, I have used a standard NRS footbar for this. I re-drilled the bolt holes so it pointed forward at an angle instead of straight down.

You're passanger just has to be very careful they don't get their feet smashed if you accidentally smash into a rock head-first!


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## rwhyman (May 23, 2005)

Here is a shot on my cat.


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## gmmccalden (Apr 23, 2013)

Kendarflugen said:


> You're passanger just has to be very careful they don't get their feet smashed if you accidentally smash into a rock head-first!


This and having a loop on the front for a foot/arm to get potentially entangled are my two biggest concerns. Not sure how valid a safety concern it really is with everything else there is on the boat. 

It would definitely be one of the more exciting seats on the boat.


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## Kendarflugen (Jan 31, 2006)

Kendarflugen said:


> You're passanger just has to be very careful they don't get their feet smashed if you accidentally smash into a rock head-first!


Just wanna say I do know the difference between your and you're... hahaha


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

gmmccalden said:


> This and having a loop on the front for a foot/arm to get potentially entangled are my two biggest concerns. Not sure how valid a safety concern it really is with everything else there is on the boat.
> 
> It would definitely be one of the more exciting seats on the boat.


Very valid concern. A mesh floor would be one easy way to reduce entrapment risk. That could make for a very comfortable and safer passenger seat though.


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

I row from the center of my cat. My oars are forward and centered with my foot bay. I pile gear in the front bay and cover it with a Paco pad to be an exciting sesting option. Down River made me a foot rail that comes off the drop tails and curves up to the height of the top rails. I explained what I wanted to them and they seemed to read my mind and made it perfectly. I would post a photo if I understood telepathy. Otherwise, I'm struggling.


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## joejacksonframing (May 20, 2011)

I cantilevered my bottom rails to allow a footbar to extend straight up in the bow. I then wrapped it with an NRS mesh floor so your legs don't go flying into rocks when someone is driving funny. Best seat on the raft. click on the image to make it bigger, you'll see what I've got going on.


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## OldandBitter (Jun 11, 2011)

I've had 2 Downriver frames with a kickbar for the passenger. It works really well. We stayed upright through all of the major rapids in the Grand Canyon. I made a plywood deck for the front bay and put a dropbag underneath the decking for additional storage.


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

OldandBitter said:


> I've had 2 Downriver frames with a kickbar for the passenger. It works really well. We stayed upright through all of the major rapids in the Grand Canyon. I made a plywood deck for the front bay and put a dropbag underneath the decking for additional storage.


I mounted the Down River footbar turned upwards. I often have gear in the front bay with a pad over it and the bar is about 8" lower than the pile. With a deck on the front it is level with the frame and still works OK. I might try flipping it over when I don't have the gear pile.


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## OldandBitter (Jun 11, 2011)

Smooth, I like that. It seems like a better way for a passenger to brace. I am going to try that.


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## rossiter78 (Mar 26, 2012)

This has been a good thread, I am looking to do the same thing for my cat. 
I will be using an NRS LoPro frame. Does anyone happen to know if anyone like Down River can work with the smaller bars and LoPro fittings?


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## rossiter78 (Mar 26, 2012)

rossiter78 said:


> This has been a good thread, I am looking to do the same thing for my cat.
> I will be using an NRS LoPro frame. Does anyone happen to know if anyone like Down River can work with the smaller bars and LoPro fittings?


Actually I answered my own question. It was crazy hard - I called them and talked to them. 

In case anyone out here is interested. Down River does work with the NRS style LoPro frames/fittings and can fabricate pretty much anything you'd want for one of these frames.


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## festivus (Apr 22, 2006)

I have struggled with this with my 14 foot cat for a few years now. It is a hard balance finding a center rowing position with a passenger. My longer cat seems much more versatile as far as weight distribution.

As far as the front kick bar, I did have a couple of close calls with feet getting pinned between the foot bar and rocks when I was pin-balling in technical water. To install an actual seat off the front bar required a pretty long bar, and more exposure. 

If the passenger is sitting on a Paco or cooler, they have a low center of gravity, which is preferable I guess if only running whitewater, but not great if fishing. It also puts the feet lower to the water line and closer to rocks, etc... 

I had a short experiment with putting the passenger behind me, and that was a safe haven for the passenger, but I could not get used to a forward rowing position.

What I finally settled on is a fixed slightly raised seat about 12 inches behind the front bar with a short kick bar off the front bar, which does not drop nearly as low.


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