At 11:07 AM 1/14/00 -0500, you wrote: >I'm preparing to build a skin/frame baidarka and everything I read holds the >sea worthiness of these relatively flexible boats in very high regard - >especially given that they were routinely used in some of the roughest and >most hazardous seas on the planet (according to the books; I've never been >there). Is the stiffness argument as it relates to glass boats more a >matter of whether you can make a lightweight, flexible 'glass boat and not >significantly sacrifice strength rather than whether stiffness is a highly >desireable trait for a general use sea kayak? I buy the flexible argument >myself, but would have serious questions about the durability of a flexible >plastic or 'glass boat since neither has an internal framework. <snip> My take on this is that the stiffness vs flexible debate is a matter of personal taste. Certainly, for a _long_ sea boat in glass, I much prefer stiff. Shorter VCP Pintail type kayaks are a little less important. There are certain wave dynamics where a skin-on-frame kayak may excel, depending upon the hull shape and paddlers style. The issue to me isn't one of performance and energy return, but ultimately of seaworthiness, and I would rather have a stiffer kayak, _if_ its a long fiberglass kayak I am paddling. Do also remember that I'm the guy who folded a lightweight river kayak in half in the surf at Longbeach, was part of a huge rescue where a fiberglass boat's seams let go. I'm a little sensitive about the whole structrural integrity issue. I also have got my Nordkapp "hung-up" high in a surge channel along the west coast, end-to-end between walls of the chasm when a rogue swell rose then receded - this with full expedition gear aboard. My parameters are a lot different than most paddlers, so I should just bow out of this whole conversation, though it has been fun and I've learn't a lot over the last week from everyone on this list. Most of you are so mature and kind with your opinions and views - it is a privilege to exchange e-mails via paddlewise with you. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jan 14 2000 - 19:19:48 PST
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