: OK skin boat gurus, here's something for you to chew on...

: Last weekend, I discovered that my boat is a real handful in confused chop
: and it seems that a lack of secondary stability is the culprit.

* Any kayak is going to have reduced overall stability in such conditions. Hard chined kayaks do not do as well in chop as do multi-chine roundish hulls. The Kodiak style kayaks do very well in chop. Their overall length is about 3 feet less than the average Greenland kayak which makes them easier to control. Also the Kodiak is a more bouyant hull due to it being wider and deeper.

It's
: really tiring just keeping the boat under me. Two days later, I paddled my
: Nordkapp for the first time since I built the skin boat and the difference
: is night and day. It is MUCH more comfortable and relaxing to paddle in
: rough conditions.

* Well, we all have our preferences! Perhaps a longer aquaintance with the Nordkapp makes this comparison inevitable. The Nordkapp has a shallow arched hull, it is not hard chined.

: I want my next skin boat to be somewhat different in shape (more like the
: Nordkapp) in order to increase secondary stability. For starters, I'm
: going to add a foot in length (to 18' 6"). In looking through the
: various books I have, I've noticed that many boats built by Greenlanders
: have little or no pinch in the ends. While I like the swoopy looking,
: reverse-curved gunwales from pinched ends, it seems that this really
: reduces the flare of the hull and volume at the bow and stern. I'm
: surmising that this negatively impacts stability and makes the boat a very
: wet ride. Does this make sense?

* Greenland hulls do not have any inherent secondary stability ( except the wider Polar variety ), they fully depend on the paddler to brace to be kept upright. Adding length to the hull will add negligible secondary stability. The wet ride is due to the shallow hull.

: An addtional benefit to a less pinched shape is that it increases the width
: at the foot brace, providing more foot room.

* Yep.

: I'm also considering moving the chine stringers in toward the keel more. I've
: read that this will decrease primary stability, but increase secondary
: stability due to more flare in the hull shape. However, I wonder if it
: actually makes the secondary stability higher or does it merely change the
: ratio of primary-secondary stability?

* If the bottom is too narrow you will have a handful just keeping it upright so secondary stability won't matter.

: Thoughts? Ideas? Wild-ass guesses?

* Greenland kayaks are fun boats and I'll always have one but they are tippy , wet in any sizeable waves and have limited stowage.