I've got a Wenonah Voyager and I am very pleased with it, it is indeed a
very fast fla****er solo, although one or two reviews on paddling.net are
overstating things a bit, likening its speed to an olympic K1.

At the end of the day, you have to have the strength and the stamina to keep
it moving along briskly.

As I get older and my fitness decreases, my disposable income has gone up a
tiny bit (unfair, really) and I am wondering, would a J-203 USCA marathon
solo move along more effortlessly still?

Its hull is 1 ft longer than the Voyager, but it has that wider diamond
shape, to be race legal.

I have read about large wetted surface area of a hull slowing you down
unless you are seriously fit and strong. Which makes me think, might the
Voyager be faster in the real world, i.e. if paddled expending moderate
effort?

Is anyone able to share experiences who has paddled both canoes back to
back?

Herb wrote:

Its hull is 1 ft longer than the Voyager, but it has that wider
diamond shape, to be race legal.

I have read about large wetted surface area of a hull slowing you
down unless you are seriously fit and strong. Which makes me think,
might the Voyager be faster in the real world, i.e. if paddled
expending moderate effort?

While the following text refers to kayaks, I imagine the same
principles would apply to a canoe. I found this text on the net:

The concept of hull speed often leads to the oversimplification "longer
is faster". This has caused many paddlers and several designers to buy
or build kayaks that are extremely long in order to be faster. However,
because longer, like wider, also means more wetted surface, there will
be a length where all the available power will be absorbed by the
increased friction, before hull speed can be reached. Longer then
becomes slower. Unfortunately, the longer kayak will also require more
effort at all lower speeds because friction is present at all speeds.
The speed advantage of a long waterline is only apparent at top speed.
Extremes of length (and then only up to a point) benefit a racing
kayaker and few others. If you can't reach hull speed (squat the stern)
when paddling hard that kayak is probably too long and/or too wide for
you.
The above discussion only points out one of the disadvantages of buying
a longer kayak, more work. Also, in strong winds a longer kayak will
be more difficult to handle (especially when not gear laden). This is
due to the increased windage, the longer lever-arm offered the wind,
and generally the slower turning speed of a longer kayak. Not being
able to control your kayak in a strong wind could have disastrous
consequences.

--
Kevin Powick

You might check out ffstirling or Fiona Stirling in this news group.
Fiona has a BSC and is very familiar with hydrodynamics. She wrote a
simple, non scientific sounding discription of how things work. She did
leave out a couple of details " buzz words " but they were covered well
in the fulness of the piece.
I know this lady well. When she is here she borrows one of my boats.
Kevin is right on . Im not sure he is right about effort in a longer
boat at lower speeds , my experience is a little different.
That said turning a long boat, ballancing it and the fear of a swim can
make an apparently slower boat much more efficient than a rocket that
you can't eat a sandwich in.
This is all kayak experiance from me as my canoe experience is
restricted to an Old town 169 with the kids , a stripper that I built
and a wood canvas boat. None of them were fast and my canoe training is
limited to CRCA 3 ( Canoe )
Kayak is a little more thorough.
Hope this helps.
Alex McGruer

Herb wrote:
snippery

I can't comment on the specific boats Herb asked about, but John Winters
designed several tripping canoes for Swift. They were designed for good
handling in all conditions, but also for fair speed under recreational paddling
efforts. There is some info on the Swift site, and John's (Redwing Designs) if
it is still up. A search should find a bit of discussion here or elsewhere.

I have one of his (Swift Winisk - 17ft 6in) and it seems fairly speedy, but we
are lazy cruisers and rarely push it, or care.

GaryJ

--
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