Paddling Report

This paddling report was originally posted to the Baidarka Mailing List in October.  It is also at http://www.rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka/2005/Oct/0029.html but there are pictures here.

Paddling report: USNM 160336
October 20, 2005.

I paddled my replica Aleut double (USNM 160336) about three hours on two days this past weekend on Lake Superior in relatively calm conditions with three different people up front. Winds were 0-5 kts. with up to 1-foot swells the first day and 5-10 kt. winds with some small waves the second. My kayaking experience had previously been limited to Klepper and "Tupperware" kayaks: both doubles and singles. This was my first time in a native-design boat so you experienced paddlers can filter this report accordingly.

(The boat meets Lake Superior just before getting its name.)

For those of you who don't know the design, this Aleut double is a long (20'-7") narrow beam (22" as I built it) craft with cockpits far apart (about 8' center to center). My boat follows the historical dimensions fairly closely except that I used a different bow (for aesthetic reasons) and made the keelson a bit taller (by only a few mm.).

The boat accelerates and decelerates quite responsively as you would expect in a 45# boat but turning is a little less than ideal because of its length, I suppose. I was using an Aleut paddle I made at 7' long. To turn with any alacrity I needed to use a storm-paddle technique and hold the tip in one hand and the loom in another. I'll make another paddle this winter that is 8'-5" (256 cm.) as shown in David Zimmerly's "Arctic Kayak Paddles" (Sea Kayaker, Winter, 1984). Turning was otherwise good: With a little lean in the opposite direction the boat did carve a nice turn.

(Heading out the first time, showing a nice view of the paddles.)

Stability was good. The boat is a little "tippy" but the secondary stability is quite good and we never felt we were going to go over. The three paddlers who joined me on the Lake were my wife, daughter, and son, who weigh 120#, 110#, and 70#, respectively. I weigh 180# and add this information to give an idea of how the craft trimmed. In general, the stability was best with the heavier paddlers up front. With my son, the bow was a little too high which decreased the primary stability. This worried a 10-year-old in a big lake as well it should. With my wife or daughter up front, the bow settled down and the boat moved and tracked wonderfully. With only me in the rear, the bow rose noticeably and the boat became a weathervane.

The boat sits low compared to what I'm used to and I would call this an advantage. The waterline at the rear cockpit was between just above the 2nd chine; this gives about 5" from waterline to sheer. When the wind gusted we tried resting to see if it would weather-cock. There was only the slightest amount and the boat displayed its heritage by putting its stern to the wind.

(Heading out again.  Here you can see the waterline relative to the chines at the rear cockpit.)

Between the low profile and its slightly V-ed bottom the boat handled what little waves there were quite well. Any larger waves that hit from the side swept over the ridged deck without any noticeable effect on the boat. When we hit a wave with the bow, we sliced silently through. "Silent" is really the key word for this boat.

(Far enough from shore for a 10-year-old.  Note how the bow is trimming up a little.)

Overall, I'm pleased with the boat and glad that I built it. I would recommend this design if you want a good touring double with a lot of room to store things below deck. (Even with float bags front and rear there is still about seven feet of below-deck storage (probably about 8 cu. ft.) without interfering with the paddlers.) Transport and storage can be a problem because of the length but if that doesn't constrain you, go for it.

All original materials are copyright © 2003-6 Anthony D. Becker, .
This page was last modified on Monday, December 05, 2005.