The advantage of starting with rigid hunk of meat is that all other conditions can be extrapolated from the response of the boat with the meat. It takes effort but by looking at information such as the slope of the curve and the area under the curve you can predict the response of the boat if the person does more than sit there like a rigid hunk of meat. The hunk of meat is just a useful non-subjective starting point. I will admit that the best way for any individual to determine how a boat feels for him/herself is to get in the boat and see how the boat feels for him/herself. But there are a lot of boats out there and if you are looking for a new boat, you really don't want to have to try every one before choosing the best one for you. Knowledgeable inspection of stability curves is one way to reduce the field. Or if you have a design you want to change by some criteria, knowing what aspect of the stability curve represents that criteria will save a lot of time testing boats. Nick -- Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St, Suite I Glastonbury, CT 06033 (860) 659-8847 Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ >>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<< *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Nov 20 2000 - 09:31:57 PST
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