Date: 2010-12-20 11:09 am (UTC)
Not an element of seakindliness, but important to the degree of pleasure one gets from using a boat, is its weight. Heavy boats are not much fun. My first strip-built boat weighed nearly as much as an aluminum boat of the same length; I wasn't all that skilled a craftsman, and I didn't have access to ideal materials, so she came in at seventy-two pounds, disappointingly heavy. Strippers are inherently light if built carefully from optimal materials. My motto is 'when in doubt, leave it out'. Those ash gunwales may be tough, and the walnut seats are pretty, but when you are halfway through that three-mile portage, you may have second thoughts. At my age, even carrying from the car to the dock (about fifty feet) can be a hassle when the boat is heavier than it needs to be. On compromise: a canoe is a system, each part of which affects all the other parts. Making it fast can cost maneuverability; making it maneuverable can make it tippy; making it stable can slow it down. Make it too light, it becomes fragile; make it too heavy, it's tricky in a seaway. My current boat is a Grumman Eagle 17 foot aluminum boat, about twenty-five years old. You can see all the compromises the designers incorporated, but overall, it's a pretty good general purpose boat. It's a little too stable initially, it's a bit harder to turn than I would prefer, and it is slow, but it could certainly be much worse in any of these ways. I am sure that with some thought and a bit of work, anyone can design a boat that is superior in every way. I am looking forward to doing just that, someday.
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