From: CHUCK@MULTITECH.COM (Chuck Holst)
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net (baidarka)
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 12:59:39 -0500
Subject: RE: baidarka Soft Chine vs/ Hard Chine
Something that is more important to me than secondary stability
(whatever that is!) is the ability to hold a kayak on edge. Some
kayaks, especially those with an acute sheer, have excellent
secondary stability up to a point (usually when the gunwale
submerges), when they suddenly flip. It is very difficult to hold
such a kayak on edge, say, when using a sculling for support stroke,
and I also find that such kayaks are usually harder to roll. One
reason I like my Romany is that it is easy to hold on edge at almost
any angle, and is also very easy to roll.
Chuck Holst
How is the shape of your boat?
Tor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See http://www.assc.org.uk/romany.htm. The bottom is a
shallow V, and the sides in the vicinity of the cockpit
are flat and nearly vertical. It has a rounded chine, low
peaked foredeck, and nearly flat afterdeck. See also http://www.assc.org.uk/voypic2.jpg for a picture of the
Voyageur, which appears to be two custom Romany Explorers
rigged as a sailing catamaran for an expedition, and http://www.assc.org.uk/rompic2.jpg for an interesting
arrangement of doubled foredeck elastics. I don't know if
this is standard this year or not; my own Romany has single
elastics.
The Greenlander, also designed by Nigel Dennis, is even
easier to roll. Like the Romany, the Greenlander also has
slab sides, but is hard-chined. See
http://www.assc.org.uk/rompic5.jpg.
Chuck Holst
