Firefly

I have always loved the looks of the Baidarkas. I have drawn a couple based on traditional designs and was just never happy with the results. They looked great but they were small and not very stable. Not the kind of boat the modern day paddler would be happy with.

FireFly is my version of a modern day Baidarka. It is not true to the ‘traditional’ Baidarka design but is very much inspired by them. From the bifurcated bow to the stern it is obvious where the inspiration of this boat comes from. Looking at the Long Shot hull I realized I had a good design to start with and decided to try again. This time I liked what I came up with.

The hulls are similar and feel very similar to paddle, but they are not the same. Firefly actually has a little lower resistance number at the higher speeds and slightly higher at the lower speeds due to it’s slightly longer waterline. The most obvious difference is the tracking. Firefly tracks better but it still responds well to a slight lean to make it turn. I can’t feel much difference in the two speed wise and I didn’t expect I would.

One of the biggest changes I made is in the frame design. One of the problems with Fuselage style hulls has been the frame work hitting you in the back of the calf muscle. I have worked out a new design that eliminates this for the majority of people. As long you paddle with your knees at least slightly bent the frames will not longer hit you in the back of the leg.