So I have information on the smaller kayaks 13-14ft ww kayaks but can't find anything on the kayak I bought for $90 dollars. Anyone know what the larger design was intended for? Still working on it going to reinforce with some fiber glass tape and redo the paint job again and add some storage. Any information or hints or advice about making modifications would be greatly appreciated!
Before:
I remeasured the kayak and it's 13ft4in...I guess I just took the guys word I bought it from.
The reason I posted on this board is only place I could find any information about mithril kayak hipp...
The paddle I made from a 8ft cedar board...finished paddle is 6ft9in design is not really functional...going to make another one...that is more functional... next paddle design will be basic storm paddle design...probably use cedar and laminate some wormy maple to it
I used to have a very similar model, home-built fiberglass on a Augsburger mold back in the late 1970's (the Olympics in Augsburg, Germany in 1972 had the first artificial ww slalom course). That design and length go back to the old Olympic slalom kayak standards for competition. The minimum dimensions today are 3.5 meters long and width 60 cm. Most of the slalom yaks back then were around 13' like yours.
They are molded in two parts and often have a breakaway seam along the sides so if the paddler is trapped against an obstacle by strong water force the boat will break apart and free them. At least that is how we built them back then. Super light boats, even when reinforced. I think mine was about 22 lbs.
You may have to figure out a way to design a plastic, rubber or wooden skeg for it. These boats will turn on a dime (they are for slalom, of course) but are a real pain to paddle straight without some sort of attached skeg or rudder. Very Old School, but the last time I took mine out (in 2006)it gained a lot of attention from old timers who remember those old "pointy boats" with affection.
I have some photos I took of my old one somewhere. Certainly looks like the same profile and deeply "creased" deck.
Be sure and get some good flotation bags for it. Lacking bulkheads, they are a bitch to dump and/or pump out in moving water, even with the bags inside.
different model Sounds like the Hipp model in that linked thread was a downriver kayak with a snubbed tail, definitely not the case for the OP’s boat which is clearly a slalom. And I would bet that his is fiberglass, not Kevlar. But good background on the maker.
With proper paddling technique, it won’t need a skeg. Those old river runners are willing to run straight, but don’t turn efficiently unless helped by an eddy.
It was almost certainly not intended specifically for slalom racing. It’s just a ww river running design.