Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 10:30:22 -0600
From: "Wolfgang Brinck" <wolfgang.brinck@hksystems.com>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: baidarka FOLDABLES AND STIFFNESS
Your question, "how much flexibility is good enough ??" implies that if you're not
careful, you can build a baidarka that's too stiff and must be careful to make it
adequately flexible. I think that the opposite, namely, making one too loose is a
greater danger.
I would say that you wouldn't want to go any more flexible than a traditional
baidarka built of wood. Any more flexibility would probably result in a slower
boat.
So if we establish the flexibility of a traditional wood frame baidarka as an upper
limit, then we can probably find aluminum tubing of similar flexibility. My
impression of aluminum tubing boats, at least the Dyson designs, is that they are
probably stronger than the wood models.
And don't forget the skin. A good part of the stiffness of the boat is due to the
tension of the skin - it limits the motion of loosely assembled parts.
As for rating folding boats, these seem to be generally a little more flexible than
comparable nonfolding skin on frame boats and consequently slower.
Wolfgang
Stefano Moretti wrote:
> Wolfgang Brinck wrote:
> >
> > I would like to re-iterate that a baidarka built to a more or less traditional
> > design, even one that uses aluminum tubing is more flexible than a hard shell
> > boat. So my point was that even if you go for maximum stiffness in a skin on
> > frame boat, it will still be plenty flexible. Making it intentionally more
> > flexible by lashing it loosely or by leaving the skin slack will not create a
> > better boat.
>
> This message is cristal clear.
>
> My point however was slightly different:
>
> how much flexibility is good enough ?? How flexible can a boat be
> without performing as an inflatable canoe (it floats but speed is on the
> very low side) ?
>
> If this degree of "adequate" flexibility can be expressed with a figure
> from 1 to 100, just to have a term of comparison in the foldable world ,
> how much would you rate klepper aerius double and feathercraft k-light
> ?? And where would you put a multi chined traditional version as the
> awesome one depicted in your book.
>
> Thanks to anybody willing to share his much needed experience (first
> hand better) in this venture of mine.
>
> Stefano, looking forward to start a very traditional wooden frame
> baidarka