Kayak

A kayak of predetermined length-over-all and longitudinal midpoint comprising a hull, deck, cockpit and steering gear, the hull having port and starboard sides, a bow and stern, a flat bottom plate extending from the bow in a curvilinear contour gradually rising toward the stern, the deck affixed to the hull to form an enclosed watertight craft, the cockpit forming an opening through the deck, situated forward of the longitudinal midpoint of the kayak and defining a station for a paddler to use the kayak, the kayak having a wetted area defined by a waterline extending from a point distant from the bow approximately equal to one-tenth LOA of the kayak, to a point distant from the bow in a range of approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the LOA of the kayak, so that the kayak burden is amid the wetted area of the hull whereby the kayak is characterized by high maneuverability by reason of the rear portion of the hull being at or above the water line, the wetted area being situated over the forward two-thirds of the hull, and the cockpit being forward of the kayak midpoint for high mechanical advantage of turning force applied by the paddler.

A kayak of predetermined length-over-all having a center of balance comprising a hull and deck, the hull having bottom plate extending from bow to stern with flat transverse lines and a curvilinear longitudinal profile extending in convex curvature downward and aft from the bow reaching a low point adjacent the center of balance, rising gradually toward the stern to a point of transition, and from the point of transition extending in concave curvature upward and aft so as to be out of the water over an aft portion of the hull, and a cockpit fitted through the deck so as to locate the center of mass of kayak occupied by paddler at the center of balance of the craft.

A kayak of predetermined length comprising a hull, deck, cockpit and steering gear, the hull having port and starboard sides, a bow and stern, the hull having a wetted area extending through the forward two-thirds of the length of the kayak, a flat bottom plate extending from the bow in a curvilinear contour gradually rising toward the stern, the bottom plate defining a keel line having a predetermined point of transition, the keel line forming a convex curve from the bow to the point of transition and forming a concave curve from the point of transition to the stern so as to be at or above the wetted area of the hull for the rear one-third of the length of the kayak, the deck affixed to the hull to form an enclosed watertight craft, the cockpit forming an opening through the deck and defining a station for a paddler to use the kayak, the cockpit situated forward of the longitudinal midpoint of the kayak so that the kayak burden is amid the wetted area of the hull whereby the kayak encounters lower water resistance when under way and when maneuvering.

A kayak of predetermined length-over-all, longitudinal midpoint, and center of balance, the kayak comprising a hull, deck, cockpit and steering gear, the hull having port and starboard sides, a bow and stern, a bottom plate, the deck affixed to the hull to form an enclosed watertight craft, the cockpit forming an opening through the deck, situated forward of the longitudinal midpoint of the kayak and defining a station for a paddler to use the kayak, the hull being asymmetric in having a hull shape forward of the midpoint defined by a first length-to-girth ratio set, and another hull shape aft of the kayak midpoint defined by a second length-to-girth ratio set, the kayak first and second sets of length-to-girth ratios measured transversely of the hull at equally spaced stations along the kayak from bow to stern, the cockpit situated between stations of the first set that have (i) the lowest l/g ratios of the first set, and that have (ii) l/g ratios lower than the all the l/g ratios of the second set.