Re: Ches 14 for SMALL chi

Posted by CLC on May 22, 2007

I haven't read the other posts, but the Chesapeake 14 has stability to spare for small people. This is a rare case where a scale-down would work fine. Taller people, with their high CG, might find the boat noticeably tippier in a shorter length.

(It's not widely appreciated that stability varies as a function of length as well as a function of beam, an effect particularly noticeable in kayaks. The razor-thin, 19.5"-wide Pax 20 doesn't feel tippy to most people, because it's gained a lot of stability back in all of the little righting-arms spread over the long waterplane area.)

The stock Chesapeake 14 is already mostly 3mm (sides and deck). A kid's boat could probably be all 3mm.

In Response to: Ches 14 for SMALL child? by Whitney on May 18, 2007

Replies:

• Re: Ches 14 for SMALL chi by Whitney on Jun 4, 2007