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Need canoe advice.
On 6-Aug-2003, (CR) wrote:
Suppose a 20 foot canoe has a max hull speed of 5 knots and a 16
footer has a max hull speed of 3 knots. Suppose that a certain
paddling force will drive the 20 footer at 1 knot. Are you saying that
if you paddle with the same force on the 16 footer you would go faster
than 1 knot?
Yes, that is the principle. Alternatively, at one knot, you will require less
force in the 16 foot.
For weaker paddlers, a short boat will allow them to poke around with less
work. The side effect is more manueverability and less weight to carry as
well. A lot of paddlers, kayak or canoe, tend to buy boats that are too
long.
The key, though, is that too short is also slow. Again, for each displacement
and target velocity, there is an optimal length (all other things being equivalent
- e.g. you have to take into account the beam of real boats). The theory doesn't
do much more than provide a guideline, since it is hard to find two different length
boats where all other things are equivalent. Paddling various boats will allow
one to find the right boat - in the sense that it will feel right. There are other
factors beyond speed of course.
The most important thing is to avoid the nonsense that long boats are automagically
faster.
Mike
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