Re: [Paddlewise] Slamming

From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 19:57:31 -0800
Larry Bliven wrote:

> i've read that the acceleration of water in breaking ocean waves reaches a
> maximum of about 10 G. Continued slamming of ocean going boats can cause
> fatigue problems... perhaps failure.
> 
> so i wonder, what design forces are used for developing kayaks? is there any
> real consideration beyound folks tossing them off of roof tops to see if
> they survive...

Don't know the design forces, but suspect many manufacturers use the by
guess and by golly method.  Example:  Eddyline's cockpit area design is a
weak one.  Every Eddyline boat I have owned has required some sort of
repair of the coaming-deck seam.  Admittedly, one of those boats was
oil-canned in large surf (>6 feet?), which separated the hull-deck seam
tape on each side, and popped the coaming-deck seam.  The others failed in
normal use, from over-leveraging my fat bod out of the cockpit.  I do not
believe any of them would survive anything but small surf (<4 ft) if
crunched sideways by a dumping wave.

OTOH, I have tried to break the deck/hull/coaming area on my Pygmy Osprey
Std in small surf, and it is rock solid.  It is marine ply (4 mm), with
epoxy/glass inside and out.  Let's hear it for the structural rigidity of
wood, and the strength of epoxy/glass!

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
cockpit breaker
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Received on Fri Mar 12 1999 - 19:59:05 PST

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