[Paddlewise] Hull speed

Fellow paddlers,

Since I am new on this mailinglist, allow me to introduce myself before
getting down to business.

NAME: Niels Blaauw

CONTACT: nblaauwboasfoxborodotcom
Live and work in the Netherlands

KAYAKS:
- A Vroom & Dreesman Inflatable (exploded three years ago)
- A Pouch double foldable (sold one year ago)
- An Old Town Loon 120, an incredibly comfortable boat for swimming, sun
bathing and just hanging out;
- A Pyranha Magic Bat for fooling around;
- A ruddered Prijon Seayak for seakayakking and camping.

SPECIALIST KNOWLEGDE: Sewing kayak clothing in windblock- and stretchfleece,
adapting plastic kayaks for somebody my length (2 meters)

MOST INTERESTING TRIP: Solo camping on the Swedish lakes and Skagerrak.

STRONG OPINIONS:
- Plastic is the best material to build any kind of kayak.
- Rudders are OK.
- Cellphones should be switched OFF at all times.
- If you are in a hurry to get somewhere, don't take a kayak. Use a car.
- It may be dangerous to paddle alone, but to me it is well worth the risk.
There is a certain magic, especially in remote places in rain, fog or
darkness, that I can't experience with people around me.

BIO: I am 37 years old, single, living in the Netherlands, paddling since I
was 10 years old but mostly in inflatable or foldable bathtubs. Two years
ago I bought the first kayak that deserves the name. By now I have turned
into a swimmingpool-fool: At last count I had 11 ways to roll my boat,
including one that keeps a burning sigarette or camera above the water. Did
some sea, surf and white water kayakking, but my main interest is in solo
wilderness camping: Not paddling great distances but just enjoying the
beauty of places, entering every bay, climbing every rock and only paddling
at a serious speed when I get cold, bored or hungry.

I write a column in "Kanosport", the main Dutch kayakking magazine. Most of
my writings are fictionous, totally unbelievable travel reports. In my
imagination I love paddling with the Tsunami Rangers or Doug Lloyd, but
reality is different: I don't have an ocean at my doorstep, which is a good
thing since I am too chicken anyway. Dancing is my main excercise, apart
from kayakking. 

Nice to meet you all. 

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Let me get to the point:

I paddle a Prijon Seayak, mostly alone but also with other people, who are
mostly paddling Romany, North Shore or P&H  boats. I got the distinct
impression that all boats around me have a higher cruising speed than mine,
although it is possible that I am just not motivated to paddle long
distances at high speed. 

I am planning to put the efficiency of my boat to the test, in a scientific
way. My idea is to gather a handful of different kayaks and test them one by
one, by putting a weight in the seat, towing them behind a motorboat at
different speeds, and measuring the force needed to tow the kayak at each
speed. I can use a GPS to control the speed. A device to measure force is
cheap enough to buy just for the occasion.

My questions are:

- Did anybody ever perform such a test and if so, what were the results. I
am specifically interested in performance of the Seayak, but also in general
differences in hull design, boat length and hull material;

- I need some people, in the Netherlands, to supply me with a motorboat and
as many kayaks as possible, and to join me in a day of playing around with
boats. For ideal test conditions we need flat water and little or no wind,
so it could result in a lot of fun on a sunny summer day. Anybody
interested?

Niels Blaauw, the Netherlands.

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