Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
By:JohnAbercrombie
Date: 10/16/2017, 6:17 pm
In Response To: Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying (Dan Thaler)

I remember hearing a story that an early kayak designer insisted that the proper kayak had to just X feet long and no longer. Turns out that was the length of his garage. Urban legend?

That would be Derek Hutchinson.

From the 2012 N.Y.Times obit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/sports/derek-hutchinson-pioneer-of-sea-kayaking-as-a-sport-dies-at-79.html

And his opinions were firm. He asserted, for example, that the proper length for a sea kayak was exactly 16 feet 10 inches. When questioned about this by a dubious kayak designer, he explained that the length could not be any greater because his garage was 17 feet long.

Messages In This Thread

Material: Strongback length after modifying
Timaanstoot88 -- 10/16/2017, 11:49 am
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 10/16/2017, 12:43 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Timaanstoot88 -- 10/16/2017, 1:40 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Dan Thaler -- 10/16/2017, 5:21 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/16/2017, 6:17 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Matthew Blumenthal -- 10/16/2017, 6:32 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/16/2017, 7:43 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Nick Riccardi -- 10/18/2017, 9:24 am
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Timaanstoot88 -- 10/18/2017, 11:29 am
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/18/2017, 12:58 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Nick Riccardi -- 10/20/2017, 2:11 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
JohnAbercrombie -- 10/20/2017, 2:29 pm
Re: Material: Strongback length after modifying
Björn Thomasson -- 10/22/2017, 9:42 am