When a kayak has the widest part aft center it’s called swedeform and widest part before center fishform. When a canoe has the widest part fore or aft it’s called “asymmetrical”, is this correct? Are any canoes hulls called swedeform or is this description strictly for kayaks?
“Swedeform” is also used for
describing canoes. “Fishform” canoes are rare, but Pat Moore turned out some real nice fishform personal cruisers.
indeed swedeform could be used
for canoes too, but historically it belongs more to kayaking because, as the story goes, is was called that way after the Swedish racing kayakers in their kayaks with the widest part aft, started to beat the racing kayakers in fish-form kayaks.
Asymmetrical
doesn’t only refer to width. Many asymmetric canoes have less rocker in the bow than in the stern, and the shape is tweaked in other ways to be more efficent paddling in one direction.
This is different from some traditional canoe designs which are completely symmetric, and can be paddled equally well in both directions. In a symmetric tandem canoe, a solo paddler can sit backwards in the bow seat to achive better trim. That doesn’t work as well in an asymmetric canoe.
I have seen “swedeform” used in
reference to canoes for several decades. So I don’t know what it means for it to “belong” to kayaks.
where?
which catalogs or books talk about swedeform for canoes?
ASSYMETRICAL DESIGN
Swede form and Fish form are both assymetrical.
If the widest point of a canoe or kayak is not located at the centre point of the craft , it is considered to be assymetrical
forms
As I remember, Swede form was influenced by Elka Somer, a Swede with pretty good form herself.
Old copies of C&K boat buyer annual.
Don’t know if I have kept any. Why is it so incredible to you that someone has used the term? What other term would be available? So many fast tandems are Swedeform. We just don’t have another term here. Fishform is rare because very few have ever been made.
1994
I first heard the terms “fishform” and “swedeform” in about 1994 (give or take one year), when I started looking at Blackhawk canoes. Some were fishform, and they used “swedeform” to describe other people’s boats. The terminology was in their brochures and from their dealer’s mouth.
– Mark
I remember her! An excellent study
in Swedeform assymetrical design. But we show our age!