Is there a connection between kayak length and seaworthiness?

Advice
#41

Just for the record: plumb = vertical, plum = a type of fruit.

As long as I’m splitting hair: coaming = the structural rim around a kayak cockpit, combing = an act of grooming.

Moving on…

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#42

Yea I know built many plumb walls as a mason contractor. . They make Plumb tools also. Is Plumb Bob a person? Is Phillip Morris a person?

#43

@rjd9999 said:
Volume of the bow and stern affect handling in rough conditions. One of my favorite boats to paddle was the early solstice, which had a low volume bow (long nose at the front and the bow rocker began several inches from the nose). I laughed every time I took that thing out in surf as it was the wettest ride possible, but he handled really well in bad conditions (http://alturl.com/77gr4). It was like being on the bow of a WWII submarine and would go under pretty much anything that rippled the water.

As you may be able to imagine, a higher volume bow will tend to lift (buoyancy) as it is submerged, but rocker is more important to getting the boat to lift with contact with the wave. Both volume and rocker affect performance in waves and wind. Often, additional rocker adds to the wind profile, as it decreases waterline length (LOA) in calm conditions. As I stated in a previous post, this is one of those tradeoffs.

Distance between waves is also a consideration. On the bay here, often one paddles in chop with a very short frequency, so a 17’ boat will be on several small waves and 10-20 kt. winds simultaneously. A low profile is more important to handling than is a bot with high ends and lots of rocker. On the ocean, with longer moments between waves, less wind, and larger waves, that same hull design could be an annoyance.

It comes down to what fits your paddling preferences and paddling profile. If it didn’t there would be one kayak hull design and everyone would use it because it was the best.

I just wish that kayaks cost about as much as hammers, in which case, I could always bring the right tool for the conditions.

That would be MIL Spec hammers.

#44

@Andy_Szymczak said:
Plum bows allow the boat to have a few more inches of waterline length. Surfski’s have plum bows for that reason. There is a distinct difference in the bow wave in my sea kayak versus my surf ski. Surfski has a much smaller bow wave and is faster than my sea kayak. Kayak is 18’, surfski is 19’ and 2" narrower.

So what do you think is better in rough? Rockpools have plumb bows. I think of the video of an Epic vs more traditional sea kayak.

#45

For many years I paddled a Solstice GTS, then sold it in favor of a QCC 700X with plumb bow. For paddling over distance in choppy seas with winds to maybe 15 kts, I prefer the 700X. I don’t surf or paddle in very rough conditions, so don’t know which would be better there. But for a smoother ride and less pounding down the plumb bow 700X is better, as the Epic video points out.

#46

thx for all the info, neat points on buoyancy, volume and bow shape

#47

Know this is an older conversation and just saw it so figured I’d chime in.

Completely agree with the rest of the commenters that length has a huge benefit. But, in my experience, it’s not just the length itself that contributes. Longer kayaks are typically heavier, even if marginally.

That extra weight tends to help a lot in stability

Hope this helps!

#48

I didn’t read all this thread, so if what I have to say has already been said…ignore it.

talking about when a rudder is released on a wave, and you start to spin…then it comes back down and it’s very rude upon contact. {can be quite a pain}

The plumb bow fits you into a length of boat for racing , with more in the water so it acts like the true length it is. {the rest of the design has to take this into account}

A clipper bow gives more maneuverability and shorter whetted surface until the waves get big enough and then both the overhang on the bow and the one at the stern come into play and add length on the water.

simplified…but you get the idea.

a rounded hull sheds waves from the side better, but feels tipsy until the waves get big. When the waves get big, the rounded hull feels very immune , and the wave just goes over your shoulder and around the hull.

a hull with flat sides gets a lot of side slap when the waves are coming abeam.

Best Wishes
Roy

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