Sunday 6 February 2011

Russki surf ski

Boat designer Mike Storer words:

My favourite Boat Designer, Phil Bolger, has a saying something like "there are two sorts of good boat, ones you live aboard and ones that you stick on the car roof to take home".This might be an oversimplification, but it contains more than a grain of truth.

I have taken it to heart with each of the boats that I have built for myself, "Beth" the 16ft sailing canoe that I can get off the car roof by myself was followed by the Balsa Strip "Wee Lassie" canoe which is 10 1/2' long and weighs in at 12 lbs. Then I designed and built the Wooden Raceboard (racing windsurfer) that, even though weighing in at a "hefty" 12kg (about 3/4 the weight of a carbon fibre production board of the same era) was at least stackable!

To reduce size much beyond these limits starts to strain the definition of what a boat is - is a surfboard a boat? I suspect not - there is the question of using hands for propulsion and the board not supporting the surfer's full weight - both of which are quite unboatlike. Though I did borrow this sailing dinghy once . . .


Move a size up to a surfski and I think you have a real boat - most sizes keep you out of the water most of the time and there is the possibility of moving moderate distances at moderate speeds with the use of the paddle.

Plans are available from CKD Boats cc in Hout Bay,South Africa,phone Roy on 021 790-3859,materials and complete CNC kits are also on offer.

Click here for the full story  http://www.storerboatplans.com/Russki/Russki.html



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