BUZZBAIT [BOATS]


HULL TRUTH W


hile most anglers look for hatches, rod holders, pods, mounts, tracks and oth-


er fishing amenities when shopping for a kay- ak, they should turn the boat over and look at stringers, channels, keel and waterline for a real indication of a boat’s fish-ability. Kayak designers spend hours slaving over hull fea- tures that squeeze every ounce of speed and efficiency out of their boats. Last year, three of the best known kayak companies stepped out of their comfort zones to build a better mousetrap; here’s what they learned about balancing stability and performance. New Zealand-based Feelfree kayaks


jumped into the backwater boat market with the new Lure 10 and 11.5 this year. That gave company founder Paul Lepper carte blanche on the hull. “The two objectives were stability and


weight capacity,” Lepper says. The challenge is to pack as much capacity into a boat that is small enough to maneuver while stand- ing. To do this, his team used a channeled hull, which features two grooves running the length of the boat. “Channeling the hull increases sur-


face area to increase capacity and improve straight line tracking,” he says, adding that it also extends the point of balance so an an- gler can paddle while seated or standing. See a full review of the Lure in the 2014 Spring issue of Kayak Angler at www.rapidmedia. com/0251. The folks at Pelican International in Que-


bec, Canada, have plenty of experience de- signing sit-inside kayaks, but building a sit- inside fishing kayak was new territory. “We had to accommodate a paddler who


will be casting and fighting fish without tip- ping over,” marketing coordinator Jennifer Di Donato says. Di Donato explains that a traditional


sit-inside has a rounded hull that increases speed but decreases stability and maneuver- ability. “The Intrepid has a twin-arched hull to move more positive flotation out to the sides, giving it maximum secondary stabil- ity,” she says. A keel and two stringers make the boat


even more stable while maintaining speed and tracking. Check out our review of


B O A T S | T A C K L E | G E A R | CL O W N F IS H | C ON S E R V A T I ON | P R O FI LE | S E C R E T L I F E O F


KAYAK HULLS COME IN MANY SHAPES AND SIZES. CHOOSE THE CORRECT HULL FOR THE TYPE OF WATER AND


FISHING YOU PLAN TO DO. PHOTO: TOM KIRKENDALL


GET TO THE BOTTOM OF KAYAK DESIGN AND FIND THE RIGHT BOAT BY RIC BURNLEY


the Intrepid Angler at www.rapidmedia. com/0265. Rough water, surf, wind and long dis-


tances require a boat that is fast, stable, agile and capable. “It’s a difficult balance,” admits lead designer David Maughan at Wilder- ness Systems in Greenville, South Carolina. Their new Thresher open water model (turn to page 46 to read our review) incorporates rocker, to improve maneuverability. A 15- foot boat with no rocker will paddle straight and be difficult to turn. Curving up the bow and stern places less of the hull in the water, making it easier to turn. “When the boat is surfing in,” Maughan


adds, “the rocker keeps the keel in the water so the boat stays straight.” Flared sides also help the boat handle surf.


Flat sides would cause the boat to broach and the paddler to catch an edge. “But flared sides help the boat rise over a wave,” says Maughan. Flared sides also give an open-water boat


a narrower, more efficient footprint in the water. As more weight is added, the footprint increases to improve stability. What about length? “A bigger angler carrying heavier loads


will want a longer boat,” Maughan says, “while a lighter angler will get the same per- formance out of a smaller model.”


design terms. DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here for a glossary of


Feelfree Lure Flat sides and a channeled hull keep a backwater boat stable by spreading out the balancing point for sit-down and stand-up paddling.


Pelican Intrepid A channeled or arched hull spreads buoyancy out from the keel line, making a sit-inside kayak more stable.


Wilderness Systems Thresher A long keel line keeps a coastal kayak tracking straight. Low gunwales duck the wind and a flared bow cuts through the waves.


www.kayakanglermag.com…21


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