--took place today in flat water on Lake Nippenicket. I wanted to find out a few things in time to make modifications to the kids' boats if necessary. First, I wanted to know how well it would float the 280 or so pounds that would allow for an adult and child to go out together. I wanted to know where built-in seats would have to go for the boat to balance properly, and how low they should be for good stability. I wanted to know how well the boat would "track" (paddle in a straight line) without a keel.
After about an hour fooling around on the water, I can report good news. The boat easily handles my 200lb plus another 85lb or so of other weight, with at least a good 6 inches of freeboard remaining. With this load, the boat floats in about 5 inches of water with the stern stem immersed and the bow stem just kissing the water. The boat tracks nicely --even paddling with a single paddle on one side alone-- but turns pretty well, too. It has no keel, but the exterior chine logs maay act a little bit like a keel to keep the boat straight. It is pretty clear that any seats must be low (sitting on one boat cushion is just about right). Balance is a bit tricky, since most of the boat's buoyancy is concentrated in the middle. Paddlers will have to adjust their seat positin to make the boat balance somewhat stern-down, so I will not install fixed seats.
All in all, she is proving a useful little boat!
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