Hairie"s South Wind Build.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:26 am

Hi Jack,

Thanks mate. I agree with you completely. I now believe that a decked touring canoe is a brilliant concept and could well be the way of the future for touring paddlecraft.

Those winds I punched into yesterday, would have stopped a canadian canoe dead in it tracks or even blown it backwards. Sure they slowed me down some, but I was still able to make very acceptable headway without busting my butt to do it.

I had about a hundred pounds of gear in the boat yesterday. Add that to my own weight of 200, and the boats weight of 441/2. Near enough to 350 pounds all up and she drew no more than 4 inches. I would say, closer to 3.

I reckon she would handle well over 500 pounds in flat water without compromising her too much. If anything, I suspect the added weight would help her in strong winds. I will find out in the coming weeks.

surfman · Post by **surfman** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:36 am

WOW Mick, that thing is a real beauty. I was on vacation last week and just got caught up on your progress.

I am a little confused and I am sure I will be set straight but, you said that this boat is not a kayak but a canoe. What is the difference between a kayak and a canoe? I would have thought that because of the deck this boat is a kayak. I have never seen a canoe with a deck?

I realize that the sit on top kayaks don't have a deck or at least you sit on the deck but that is a special case anyway.

Kayak Jack · Post by **Kayak Jack** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:32 pm

Surfman,

The line between canoes and kayaks is blurred at best. Go t the Buyers' Guide issue of Canoe and Kayak Magazine for a technical discussion on it.

Basically, seating height is one criteria, and type of paddle is another, and amount of deck is a third. Owner's whim may be the biggest.

If your boat is completely open, and looks like Hiawatha might be familiar with it, it's likely a canoe. If you're completely enclosed and can roll it back up after a capsize, it's likely a kayak. In between lay a lot of hull & deck configurations that get greyer and greyer as they transition from one hull type & usage to another.

Go to krugercanoes.com and you'll see a similar boat design. And, Verlen Kruger considered himself a canoeist, not a kayaker.

surfman · Post by **surfman** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:26 am

Thanks KJ I figured it was kind of grey and I like your analogy of the difference between the two but, that sure looks like a kayak to me. However, if Mick says it's a canoe then it's a canoe.

Post by **jem** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:31 am

The "official" definition gets blurred when it comes to boats of this nature.

What to call it is just a matter of whatever floats your boat.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:53 am

Thanks Surfman,

I am no purist. she is based, loosely on the Sea Wind By Kruger and the Sea Wind by Clipper canoes.

Both manufacturers call their boats canoes and that is good enough for me.

I call any boat with a big open cockpit and that can be paddled well with a single blade a canoe. It sure does look like a kayak though.

I really don't care what it is called. It is a brilliant boat to paddle and fish from.

Matt, I have walked round and round it. studdied every piccie I have than walked round it some more. there is nothing I would change to the hull.

Perhaps, a slightly more peaked foredeck and lower, flatter stern deck, just to eliminate that very slight tendency to wethercock?

Post by **jem** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:18 am

hairymick wrote:
Matt, I have walked round and round it. studdied every piccie I have than walked round it some more. there is nothing I would change to the hull.

Perhaps, a slightly more peaked foredeck and lower, flatter stern deck, just to eliminate that very slight tendency to wethercock?

Aft deck, I have an idea. As far as the fordeck, peaked more toward the cockpit or bow?

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:48 am

I think perhaps the apex could be raised an inch or a little more along the entire length of the foredeck.

Not sure how it would look though. Also if panels 3 and 4 were raised a little, with mini decks and gunwales etc., she might make for a very, very good open canoe.

This basic hull, set up as a SOT, similar to Wadefish or Sabalo would well and truly come into the category of superyak IMHO (as defined by Cap'n Jimbo, both on his forum and KFS

The hull it self, in particular that part blow the waterlne, is so good, there is nothing I would change.

One needs to take one of these boats for a walk to understand just how good they are. They are bloody good. I am not kidding here. I have advertised most of my other boats for sale today.

Post by **jem** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:38 am

hairymick wrote:I think perhaps the apex could be raised an inch or a little more along the entire length of the foredeck.

it could be done but wouldn't that get pushed around by the wind more? Or am I not following you?

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:35 pm

By "Weathercocking" I mean that when paddling accoss wind, she has a very slight tendency to want to turn into the wind. I think this might be being caused by the wind catching the aft section of the boat a little more than the bow,

By, increasing wind signature in the bow a little, I think it might negate this.