Kudzu Craft

MY DESIGNS
Full size plans are available for these designs.


	Curlew is what I like to call a fast cruiser. However, top speed was never a consideration in this design, instead it was optimized for the 3 to 4.5 mph range. The speed range most recreational paddlers paddle 95% of the time. This way you get the most speed for effort in the speed range you paddle.

	Ravenswood is is another fast cruising hull. It is based on the Curlew hull but has a little better performance in the 3-4.5 mph range. The resistance is a little bit lower than the Curlew making it a good choice for most paddlers. But if you really into fast paddling this is not the boat for you. At 5 mph the resistance starts to increase dramatically. This is not an issue for most people since that is more of a sprinting speed.

	Vardo The design goals were for a boat a new paddler would be comfortable in and not outgrow. Large enough for weekend camping and a larger cockpit with lots of knee room. Vardo has turned out very well. It's performance has been better than expected and I find it to be a good all around boat. I often use mine when I am going fishing on one of the creeks. I have not camped from it but it has the space. I think a couple of Beckson style hatches for access to the ends of the boat and it would be a good touring boat

	Long Shot is very similar to Pouco Barta but it has a multi chined (round) hull shape. By going with a rounder shape the boat has less wetted surface area which lowers the resistance. Overall it has the lowest resistance numbers of any of my boats. Curlew is still slightly better in the 3-4 mph range where you spend most of your time. If you consistently paddle faster than 3.5 mph then you want to consider this boat. It is noticeably faster than my others and it has quickly become my go to boat. With a low seat stability should be comfortable for most anyone.

	Firefly is what I like to call a "Modern Baidarka". It is not true to the 'traditional' Baidarka design but is very much inspired by them. Most single holeBaidarkas were very small boats with low stability and a small ocean cockpit. Not something most paddlers today want. I have always loved the Baidarkas but was always afraid I would never be happy with one so I decide to design my own. The Modern Baidarka has a longer oval cockpit and more stability that most paddlers want. Obviously I had to keep the Bifid bow. I went with my Fantail on year instead of the traditional design. I think it retains the beautiful lines of the traditional boats.

	STONEFLY This is a boat I built for myself. I wanted a canoe to fish from. I have fished from my kayaks but I a canoe make a a better fishing platform than a sit-in kayak for me. I did not intend to offer plans for this but there was a lot of interest in it so I changed my mind. StoneFly will track harder than most canoes. It is not flat bottomed and it was designed for use on a very large lake where I may paddle some distance. So it's not going to spin around quickly. That is a draw back on smaller creeks but I still use on them, it just takes more effort to turn it around.

BOATS WAITING TO BE BUILT
These are untested designs that basically ready to built.
Contact me if your interested, plans are available sometimes.

	This boats can trace it lineage to Greenland hunting boat. Of course it is long removed from it's distant relative but it inspired this design. I have long been a fan of traditional Greenland boats with the long pointed bows and just could resist no more. Many people say the long bows were a waste but they actually served a purpose where they were paddled. I just think they look cool! This one is moving up the ladder. The plans are drawn, it's just a matter of time before this one is built.

	Pouco Barta is basically a hard chined version of Long Shot. In an all out sprint Long Shot is by far the faster boat. Up to 4.5 mph however there isn't much difference resistance wise. Unless you are a really strong paddler it's just a matter of if you like round or hard chines? Pouco Barta will be easier and quicker to build because of the lower number of parts required.

	Everyone wants free plans, so here is a free set. FreeB is a 13 foot long with high stability. It has only 4 frames so it should be a pretty simple boat to build. It has a long 36" cockpit so it will be easy to get in and out of.

THE DRAWING BOARD
Designs we are looking at and working on. These designs are not available at the moment. It may be an idea or something I am working on for my personal use. If you see something that you're really interested in contact me and we can discuss it.

	TANGERINE A buddy of mine was looking for a canoe to fish the local lake he lives on. He has a granddaughter that he wanted to take with him and introduce her to fishing and paddling. We have settled on a 16' two person design. The hull will have a slight Vee to help with tracking as he expect to paddle alone mostly. It will be paddled solo from the bow seat sitting backwards. So the hull is a symmetrical shape. This one is currently on hold. But may be picked up latter.

	Cast-away is an idea I have been playing with. I want a boat to fish from on some smaller flowing creeks. While Sit on Tops make good fishing boats I wanted something lighter so I started looking at SOF kayak. It has a large open cockpit and is not meant to have a skirt. It has an open well behind the paddler for a cooler or milk crate to store gear.

	Sweet Briar is a pulling or row boat. As a kid and a young man I got the chance to do a little bit of rowing and really enjoyed it. Like most people I like a boat that has a bit of speed to it. For a pulling boat that means length and length leads to weight and suddenly your faster boat is too heavy to handle. Building a pulling boat Skin on Frame style will keep the weight way down.