Subject: Re: [baidarka] Kayak to Human Scaling
From: Phil Ellis (pcoellis@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Nov 01 2001 - 21:02:49 EST
Juan,
Kirk's Shields replica is way tippier than any of the other baidarkas
(3)that showed up at the skin boat gathering, and it's much tippier than
mine, which is a more-or-less-Lowey Museum replica (built mostly from David
Zimmerly's offsets). Have you tried one of Bill Lowe's baidarkas? I think
they'll change your mind.
Regards,
Phil
>From: Juan Ochoa <jochoa@ll.mit.edu>
>Reply-To: baidarka@paddlewise.net
>To: baidarka@paddlewise.net
>Subject: [baidarka] Kayak to Human Scaling
>Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 13:32:21 -0500
>
>On Monday evening, I got a chance to try Kirk's Shields baidarka. It was
>an
>enlightening, but thankfully dry, experience. After about two minutes of
>managing to stay upright, I thought, "To hell with the baidarka idea, I'll
>make
>a Greenland kayak. At least I know how to paddle one of them". I
>continued
>for an hour until I got more comfortable paddling and darkness came.
>
>It was very useful to find out I have become very used to a low rear deck
>and
>side coaming. I can also see, one can get used to a much lower secondary
>stability, but it will require a fair amount of attention to staying
>upright.
>I will probably persist and learn. My wife had a easier time in the
>baidarka,
>because she is smaller and had a lower center of gravity. I could even
>notice
>the difference between having my legs flat and pulling my knees up to
>brace.
>
>
>It occurred to me, that we as a group are enchanted with the idea of making
>exact replicas of these wonderful craft. The problem, at least for me, is
>that
>I'm 6'2", 184 lb., with a 34" inseam, size 11 feet, and I'm trying to fit
>in a
>kayak designed for much smaller people. My guess is that Harvey is more
>successful with his reproductions because he is of a size similar to the
>original designers.
>
>Has anyone encountered some data as to the size of the Inuits or the Aleuts
>that built these boats which we are now copying? That way we could scale
>the
>original designs to fit. What about the anthropomorphic measurement system
>for
>scaling the kayak to the paddler? That seems to work just fine for the
>Greenland paddles, but what about the whole kayak?
>
>John was right, this is the hardest part of the process. Which kayak do I
>build?
>______________________________________
>Juan Ochoa
>Quantum Electronics Group
>MIT Lincoln Laboratory
>
>jochoa@ll.mit.edu
>(781) 981-0657
>(781) 981-0602 FAX
>
>
>
>
>-
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