Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 11:03:55 -0800
From: Paul MacIntyre <pfmac@hooked.net>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: bow piece
LEW PLUMMER wrote:
>
> John Winters wrote:
> >
> > Lew wrote;
> The Baidarkas I referred to are early straight lower section designs,
> not the surface piercing or up curved bow. When the Russan / Europien
> influx stabilized Aleutian societies ( stability by death ) it seems
> that work boats were more prevalent and the bifurcated up turned bow was
> most likely a decoration.
>
> I have built both bow types. The first is an upturned 1860s bow design
> that has no advantage at all except maybe breaking up waves during a
> traverse. My second boat is a 18" beam, semi deep "V" with an early
> 19th century straight bifed bow. Number two handles beautifully in the
> rough water. It pierces the wave tops very much as Bill Low indicates
> his boats do. On the other hand the 1860's model isn't nearly as
> friendly in on coming waves.
Lew,
I went paddeling yesterday with two friends in moderate waves. I was
in a "Dyson 5.28" with the upswept bifid bow, one of the other boats was
a flared bow Greenland style boat the third boat was a "Shields" boat
with the straight bifid bow. The "Shields" boat pentrated the oncoming
waves with reletively little pitching compared to the other two boats.
Paul