Re: [Paddlewise] Boat Design

At 1:48 PM -0700 10/10/98, John Lull wrote:
<snip>
>Anyway, my question to the boat designers is this:  Why, with all the
>hundreds of 16 to 18 ft. sea kayak designs are there so few short sea
>kayaks (13 to 14 ft.) similar to the Coaster and none that really compare
>favorably to the Coaster?  Are the Brose brothers really the only boat
>designers who can do it?  In case you are wondering why I like the shorter
>length, come on out to northern California and paddle in the rocks along
>the coast and you'll see why.
>

I think short boats have a lot of merit. For most of the paddling people
actually do, as opposed to what they dream of doing, length is not
necessary. And they probably don't need the length for what they dream of
doing either.

I will say from the purely aesthetic perspective, I like the looks of a
long boat better than a short boat, and from a marketing perspective, a
good looking boat will get someone to try a design faster than anything
else other than price. And as John will note, people think good looking
boats perform better than ugly ones. This is not to say shorter boats are
ugly, but if a long boat looks better it will sell better.
Nick



Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
c/o Newfound Woodworks, 67 Danforth Brook Rd, Bristol, NH 03222
(603) 744-6167

Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

>>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<<


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