Re: Wood Duck Fwd Water T

Posted by Laszlo on Nov 21, 2007

Erik,

A forward bulkhead would block access for taping the deck to the hull. You could cut another hatch in the front to get access or add the bulkhead after the deck is attached, but both add complication to the build. Maybe the foam bulkhead described in the shop tips would be a good compromise between simplicity and water-tightness.

As far as capsize recovery - you would have to work really, really hard to capsize the Duck. I tried to do just that at the Annapolis Demo Night last July and I fell out of the boat before it tipped over. I also did a wet re-entry with no floats, no bungees, nothing but me and my PFD. It worked the first try and the only water that got in was what dripped off of me.

The hull form stability, the closed aft compartment and the flotation provided by the wooden hull make it a very robust boat, even with the big cockpit and no forward bulkhead. I think that as long as people remember that it's a recreational kayak and use it as such, there should be no problem.

Laszlo

In Response to: Wood Duck Fwd Water Tight by Erik on Nov 20, 2007

Replies:

• Re: Wood Duck Fwd Water T by Erik on Nov 23, 2007