At 11:40 AM 11/9/98 -0500, Bill Leonhardt wrote: >Regarding scratch resistance and friction reduction- >We discussed the fact that the original seal skins might have had >an effect like adding some oil (or whatever) to the boundary layer and >working like a visco-elastic fluid. Does anyone have any definite >knowledge of this? Have there been any efforts to use visco-elastic fluids >to increase the performance of human powered vessels? Does anyone know if >there are coatings that might "ablate" and effect the drag performance of a >kayak or canoe? > >Enquiring minds want to know! I'd think the America's cup sailing people as well as the sprint kayak and canoe racing section of the US Olympic committee would know if anyone does. My theory on the superiority of skin boat speed is that the contemporary proponents of it are over reacting to early reports of quickness that the little boats seemed to have. Look at a little bug running around on the ground. Seems fast doesn't it? It's just so small that it looks to be fast. You can outrun (out walk?) it easily. Smaller boats were more maneuverable than the bigger whiteman boats, and I think that made them seem so fast to people not used to them. I sure haven't seen any olympic kayakers paddling skin boats. Be nice if I were were wrong, though.... a whole new world to explore. Hank Hays Lightning Paddles *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Nov 09 1998 - 09:23:29 PST
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