Re: [Paddlewise] A Can of Worms

Hi Josh,
    Ah........ and so we cut to the quick!   Though I am pretty sure that I 
am not the one being quoted, I have said much of the same, and agree in 
theory with most of the quoted comments.  If anyone other than you had made 
this post, it would have been considered a major troll. But from you, I hope 
that paddlewise et al will consider the accuracy of the information with a 
minimum of passion in their responses.

<< (British Boats) . . . . Narrow (& tippy), relatively fast, good tracking 
(slow to turn) low volume (less windage/less cargo), snug-fitting (more 
control/less comfortable) & extremely durable (& heavy) all of which adds up 
to an extremely seaworthy craft that requires effort and skill to pilot and 
enjoy.

While American boats tend to be:
    Wide (& stable), slower, maneuverable (poor tracking) higher volume (more 
cargo/more windage, loose fitting (more comfortable/less control) & light 
(but somewhat fragile) all of which adds up to a very comfortable craft for 
gentle waters that requires little skill to pilot and none to enjoy.>>

    If we were to eliminate the British / American boat tags and stick to 
hull forms only, then the generalizations would be true based on my personal 
experience. British craft do tend to be narrow, low volume, tippy, less 
comfortable, more durable and very seaworthy in the hands of a skilled pilot. 
In general they are not a beginners boat because to paddle them in conditions 
requires that the pilot have good bracing skills.
    My experience with British boats is limited to NDK, Valley and P&H. The 
P&H Orion and the Valley Skerray are two boats that offer more stability for 
a beginner but are still suitable for rough seas work. Remember the British 
boat industry started with the Valley Anas Acuta, a fibreglas copy of a 
Greenland boat. It's not surprising that the Brits have followed the narrow, 
high performance model in their other designs.
    The American sea kayak market grew out of the canoe market. Placid waters 
are available to a large segment of our (North American) population, so it's 
only natural that boats with the widest appeal (if not beam) would be 
designed to handle less aggressive conditions.

<<A skilled driver would much rather drive a Porsche than Mack truck, 
although the truck is certainly better in an accident and more stable on the 
road?>>

    For a closer analogy consider the market for "Cafe Racers" motorcycles: 
These are small, uncomfortable motorcycles with a high power to weight ratio, 
"Crotch Rockets" and not the stuff of Dr Iverbon. Who would ride such a bike? 
Anyone who wanted to pretend for a short while to be a racer. The larger, 
more comfortable bikes are safer but also have less spirit. The "racers" are 
just plain fun to drive, not practical but lots of fun.

    North American boats like the CD Gulfstream / Slipstream (based on the 
Orion) are the exception. These are very seaworthy craft, not especially 
tippy but still somewhat delicate compared to their British counterparts.  
The CD Caribou is quite high performance though not particularly fast. Mariner
 boats are extremely seaworthy, though I suspect have somewhat higher windage 
than the average British boat.
    Given the whole spectrum, the British tend to make most of the highest 
performance boats and North America tends to make most of the other 95% of 
the spectrum.


Jed
(who recently took delivery of a NDK Explorer, but still wishes CD would 
build a GTS with a skeg.)

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