My search for an upriver boat from an earlier post has shifted gears.
I was reminded by a friend of a short test drive in a Pyrahna Speeder. At the time I dismissed the boat as a speed exercise boat because it was not much faster than my Avocet.
I have very limited experience with long waterline boats (QCC, Warren, surf skis), with the blunted ends making for a longer waterline.Does the blunted nose effectively “pin” the nose in place when at speed?
I remember the Speeder as being fairly easy to turn when edged over. In hind sight it may be a good candidate for upstream paddling with its lengthened water line. They apparently have been discontinued making the price lower, and being a poly boat makes it less painful to beat up on rocky rivers.
Any input from those with cross current experience in a longer waterline craft?
I am not quite sure what you are …
looking for, but I have an 18 foot yak with a plumb bow, and a 17 foot one with the Brit style bow, and I much prefer the plumb bow for my all around boat.
I paddle many rivers up stream and some have fairly strong currents.
Jack L
plumb bows and rocker
A plumb bow lengthens wl in shorter boats it also tends to punch waves instead of simply rising. A boats tendency to turn is going to be a combination of hundreds of factors.
If you are wanting to go fast up stream or on any river for that matter, a plumb bow low rocker boat is ok, I would just be sure it had a rudder.
many plumb bow boats are ruddered
Is this due to them being inherently straight trackers?
I have stayed away from ruddered boats as they hindered my self rescues, and made the boats less maneuverable (when a quick turn was desired).
I remember the Speeder as not being a hard tracking, straight line boat, (maybe why this is why it got discontinued).
I am wondering if plumb bow and stern boats have a tendency to catch waves and boils, rather than plane over them like a WW boat.
im not
Going to be able to give you scientific reasons for things like many here will do, but for me, running up and down rivers for speed means your boat is going to be shifting and turning with every current change and new bottom type. A rudder let’s you correct easily without wasted strokes.
Odd !
Maybe just me, but I very seldom use my rudder in rivers with currents and I paddle lots of them.
Jack L
its your skills jack
same
I do tons of up river paddling and I have never used a rudder. After a while you just learn the easiest ways up. Prijon barracuda is my choice of boat. Snub nosed and easy to slice upstream.
i was more thinking
Down river. Up river, I’d rather be in a canoe, maybe with two people in it.