: Sorry Mike but I don't think we are talking about the same thing.
: I've never been to Ireland but living in a place with scads if Irishmen, a
: few of whom are Pioneers, and having dated a red-headed girl from Akill
: Island, who wasn't but should have been, I know what a curragh is and I
: don't think that is what our requester had in mind. Light or not curraghs
: are high-sided deep water boats that must have a fairly substancial
: framework because they don't have an inegral deck to help soak up exterior
: forces.
: I assumed the query was about a rowboat that could boogie like a kayak. Long,
: light and shallow. A kind of topless SOF kayak proplelled by sculls. If
: that is what the requester is after I think it is an idea that will be
: difficult to pull off. The leverage of several oars lustily applied to the
: gunnals of a boat frame that is too light to stand up to the forces will
: make the frame flex and break, eventually.
: If the program was for a craft to be paddled for pleasure in protected
: waters, no problem. But two guys pulling on oars for all their worth
: changes everything.

No worries, Charlie, Alan is wondering about a double kayak for river racing and I threw the currach construction concept in as a possible alternative given his mention of a 4.5 metre boat length as well as the cost and time limit. A double kayak in length would need to be quite wide beside a single, that means drag. It's also easier to learn to row fast than paddle fast.

I think a SOF rowing shell would likely fold under full oar pressure if it was completely open, some shell I've seen are decked except where the rower/s sits. That might work in SOF but might need some interesting bracing in the open section.

A true currach would have relatively high side compared to a shell but the construction technique is somewhat mallable as to proportions. Compared to the average rowing boat, a currach is as shallow in cross section. They look higher because they sit more on the surface. They're not exactly deep water boats, more rough water. They make good river boats as they're very maneuvrable as well as good sea boats.
They're no more complex than a baidarka to build.

I'd say a two man currrach would be faster than a two man kayak. Definitely faster than a one man baidarka, I got passed by two guys in a currach when I was using my baidarka a while back. Not quite the same as Alan's race but the difference between my speed and the curach was very marked. And in the true manly competitive spirit, I tried to keep up. Tried being the operative word. I was smoked.

Mike Savage
South West Cork