Paul

Thank you VERY MUCH...

I believe that this forum is enriched by, and grateful for, the thought and time that you put into your responses.

Appreciatively still digesting,

kelly t

: there is certainly a difference in cargo-carrying capacity between styles,
: models, and plans for boats of the same length and width. Look at the boat
: designs from above and you cna see that some are shaped more like cigars,
: and others are more like double-pointed needles. Those which are blunter
: (cigar shaped) will have more volume, with larger areas going further
: forward and aft.

: Look at a boat from the side and you cna see that some have a shorter
: waterline than others. Those with a shorter water line frequently have the
: bow starting to rise from a point closer to the center of the boat. Those
: with a maximum waterline frequently have the bow coming up at almost a
: right angle to the keel. It is had to generalize about sterns, but some
: rise quickly, and smoe come up in lon gentle curves.

: Looking at these silhouettes you can compare two designs side-by-side to see
: which has a greater volume.

: But that is not enough, and can be very misleading.
: We have only discussed two dimensions--length and width. There is alos height
: to be considered. You are buildingthe boat, and it is not too difficult to
: change the profile of the deck, or raise the deck height in order to gain
: more cargo capacity.

: In general, the hull shape affects how the boat moves through the water,
: while the deck shape affects how the boat moves through the air. Since
: water is far more dense than air, we spend a lot of development time on
: getting a good hull shape. After that we design for a safe amount of
: freeboard, and then we top things off with a decorative slab of wood.

: Our basic concerns in deck design are to get a deck high enough in front of
: the paddler to allow room for big feet and maybe some wiggle room for the
: knees. Then we want the deck behind the paddler to be low enough so the
: paddler can lay back flat to make rolls easier.

: We may have a flat deck to reduce the amount of surface area which can get
: caught by a gust of wind, or we may have a deck which is curved or peaked
: so that water rolls off. The deck can be fabric, plywood, or woodstrips.
: Heck, it can even be missing. Then you have a nice open canoe.

: Since you are building the boat, YOU can make significant changes in the
: volume of the boat ( the amount it can carry) by either changing the
: design of the deck shape, or by raising the sidewall height (increasing
: the freeboard).

: I think the simplest way is to raise the sidewall height, but if you are
: planning to make a hybrid (plywood hull with a strip-built deck) then you
: are already tinkering with the deck, so keep it up.

: The first thought on raising the height of the boatis that more will be
: exposed to wind, so there may be weathercocking concerns. Also, with a
: higher boat there might be some stability concerns. However, if you are
: building this boat with the thought of carrying gear, then the added
: weight of that gear will cause the boat to sink deeper into the water.

: In an ideal compromise, you would increase the height enough to allow your
: gear to fit in (let's say one inch) then the weight of the gear would
: displace enough water so that the boat ends up an inch deeper in the
: water. Then you end up with the same "sail" area catching the
: wind, while just increasing your draft an inch and slightly increasing
: your wetted surface area and drag. Lowering the boat in the water could
: also lower the center of gravity and increase your stability.

: Your question can be restated (I believe) as: "will this design give me
: enough space for me and my camping gear, or won't it". The answer to
: that question has several parts, but in general I believe that most kayak
: designs will meet your needs.

: First, we need to know how much you plan to carry. it is probably a little
: early to start packing for the kayak -camping trip before you have even
: started building the kayak--but you need to get a grip on the volume of
: what you are going to carry, as well as the weight. If you have a few very
: heavy items (are you an anvil salesman carrying samples?) then you might
: need to work around them.

: If you travel like a backpacker, and can fit all your gear and food for a
: week in one pack whch weighs under 40 pounds, then you could probably wrap
: that pack in a waterproof sheet and tie it to the deck of almost any
: design. On the other hand, if you like to cook on a cast iron griddle, on
: top of your two-burner Coleman(R) stove, and carry a dutch oven for your
: gourmet baked items (please don't laugh, I personally like these comforts
: and frequently carry similar items in the car, or canoe, when I travel)
: then you will need to have a boat which is wide enough to accept the big
: stove and griddle somewhere other than the cockpit. You don't want to
: travel with this on your lap.

: Next we need to know how you are planning to pack your gear. If yo are using
: separate bags for food, clothes, cookware, tent, water, camera gear, and
: maps then each bag is going to be fairly small, and you can put some in
: front with others in ack to amintain balance and trim. But if you have
: jsut two big bags, then we need to see how you are going to divide your
: gear--and then how big each bag.e will be. So, get your gear together and
: actually pack it. When I camp with the car as my vehicle I like the
: separate bags plan. I used to pack my canoe that way, but my trip to the
: Boundary Waters, and the experience of the numerous portages, has changed
: my mind on that. It is just too awkward to carry the separate bags. For
: another trip like that I want to put my gear in no more than two packs,
: and both should have wide shoulder straps. No duffel bags. Or, I'll take a
: backpacking frame which can carry the weight of the boat on the portages
: (works well with kayaks) and which I can bungee the small bags to when
: portaging. I'm sure there are other ideas out there which would also work.
: What YOU need to do is decide what ideas YOU want to use for your gear.
: then you can measure the actual shape and weight of your gear and see if
: the shape of a boat will carry what YOU want to carry.

: Glad to help.

: PGJ