> Just curious as to where the Baidarka bow & stern design came from.

> I assume the notch in the bow was to help keep the skin on, and that the
> stern helped them stretch it tight.

The bow is a clever answer to a problem of not being able to easily make a concave curve at the bow with stretched skin. The lower part of the bow is thin, extending the waterline of the kayak, whereas the top part provides more volume causing the bow to lift as it hits oncoming waves, and preventing spearing into the wave itself.

I have heard that the stern is shaped as it is (rather blunt) so that waves push the back of the kayak and help its speed. I don't know for sure. There is a baidarka page somewhere that discusses the advantages of the baidarka (Spiritline kayaks?). (What are we to do without Mark K. finding kayak links for us?)