RE: [Paddlewise] Boat Design

Doug wrote: -
Here's a link to an excellent article that
gives a hint regarding the work that goes
into designing a kayak:
http://www.pygmyboats.com/WoodenBoat%20Article.htm

G'Day Doug,

I can't pretend to know anything about kayak design. I'm trying to
understand the process.

The link you put forward and the information on the Mariner website suggest
that the principal function of those computer aided design tools, with the
exception of Matt's drag spread sheet, is to facilitate the generation of
templates and cross sections for building boats. Clearly a non trivial task
requiring many years investment of time and skill, but not at the core of
the knowledge needed to design a boat.

It is extraordinarily generous of Matt Broze and Robert Livingstone to make
such programs available. Having said that, even with such programs I confess
I could no more design a kayak than paddle to New Zealand. If I designed a
half decent boat it would be sheer good luck.

That part of the design process, which considers the effect of the hull
shape on: turning ability, tracking, kayaker size and weight, immunity to
pearling, weathercocking, ability to move into or out of a broach on a
breaking wave and many other parameters, all seem to rely on the designer's
experience of paddling, testing, building and selling many boats, rather
than physics or mathematical modelling. This shines out of Matt's
description of the history of the Mariner boats and seems to be an aspect of
kayak design that truly blends art and science.

If what I've said is right then I wonder to what extent the kind of
experience necessary to design a kayak can ever be reduced to rules of thumb
or equations. Perhaps with some designers instinct may serve better than
analysis. I also wonder about the kind of thoughts and experience you will
apply in designing your boat and hope you will keep us up to date.

By the way I'm a friend of the Nadgee designer Dave Winkworth. I also have a
great respect for Matt Broze, and his generous approach to sharing
knowledge. So I don't want to enter into the boat copying debate, though I
would dearly love to hear Dave and Matt get together and talk it through one
on one, maybe over a bottle of good wine but that might be hoping too much!

All the best, PeterO
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