SWAMPGIRL – MODIFIED?

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:58 pm

Hi Matt, I know you are very busy at the moment but I have been playing with some ideas re possible modifications to your beautiful Swampgirl.

These are my thoughts – so far.

1. extend the length to around 171/2 feet.
2. Reduce maximum beam to around 700mm (26 inches)
3. More vertical bow and stern lines (similar to Zephyrus)
4. Shallow V hull
5. Lower the height by around 1.5 – 2 inches
6. very little rocker fore & aft

What I am hoping to achieve is a very fast, solo, flat water canoe, capable of carrying two people if necessary but mainly solo. (day trips etc)

What are your thoughts? Is this achievable/practicable?

Post by **jem** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 11:09 pm

Certainly possible.

If it for my personal inventory, I'd probably opt for a small deck... about 30" front and back.... to help keep the waves out. Swamp Girl bow and stern are pretty low as it is.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 5:13 am

Yep, I was thinking along the same lines myself. As my wadefish approaches completion, will be looking to build something like this. probably as a precurser to a Zephyrus?

Oldsparkey · Post by **Oldsparkey** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:43 am

Mick ... some ideas from the Peanut Gallery or the For What's it Worth Department.

When I made the Swamp Girl I lowered the sides about 1 1/2 inches and it made it a lot easier to fish out of since I use one of my chairs that sits just an inch or so off the bottom of the boat.

As you know the tumblehome (upper sides coming in towards the paddler) makes it easy on the knuckles of the paddle since you are not hitting the railing on each stroke of the paddle. Now bringing the sides in would eliminate that so they could be more up and down then angled in like the original design. Or have a slight inward angle to them.

Stretching it out to 17 1/2 feet would make it a shallower draft because of the flat bottom and very little rocker would also help since more of the boat is in the water. Making the beam 26 inches should also help with the speed since there is less width and resistance to the water.

For myself I would have a slight rise to the bow of an inch or so coming back and decreasing for about the first 3 feet, this would keep the bow from digging into the water or any small waves and help to cut down the resistance of the water on the boat when paddling it. You would be cutting the water and not pushing it in front of the boat. The slight rocker in the bow would also help when changing directions to avoid obstacles since the bow is out of the water or just above it.

The way the Girl is made with the flat bottom and the V at each end if the V was left in the stern without any rocker then it should help with the directional control, you might call it a modified (improvised ) rudder since it is only the bottom (stern) of the boat.

Matt's idea of a deck would also be helpful, it would help to keep any waves (water) out of the boat, create a shaded and dry area to store items, rain coat, ice chest (small one) , tackle box, lunch , tent ...... anything.

Just throwing ideas around.

Chuck.
PS. 18 feet would give you about 16 feet for the original Swamp Girl or 17 feet in the water without any rocker on the stern.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:03 pm

G'day Chuck,

Thanks for your input mate.

Re the tumblehome, I would very much like to keep it as it is at present. (I like tumblehome on a canoe)

Re the rocker, good thoughts but I am not necessarily chasing a dry ride. just maximum hull speed in flat water. Something to do a lot of miles in - in a day. something to padle fast and far - just for the fun of it.

BTW Is it true that Americans measure a boats length around the outside of the boat? Over here, we measure it down the centreline.

Oldsparkey · Post by **Oldsparkey** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:23 pm

hairymick wrote:G'day Chuck

BTW Is it true that Americans measure a boats length around the outside of the boat? Over here, we measure it down the centreline.

Over here we measure the boat down the center line, anyway that is the way I do it.

Anything measured around the outside is usually called a waist or is that waste ???? line. OK, a better definition .... The expanding mass , in the area , between the head and the feet of a person ( the boat builder) that never gets smaller as time goes by and more boats are built.

This is caused by a normal action or reaction.

It is because the boat builder saves a lot of money making there own boat and during this process. The money that is saved is used for cookouts ( BBQ's) and cold adult beverages while admiring there progress (construction) and then the completed , customised , hand built boat.

Chuck.