Thule
Latest updated Sunday, December 04, 2011, 1 comments
Images | Particulars
Plans, Thule - 94 EUR
Purchase
Thule is a fast and roomy expedition and touring kayak, designed to provide a dry ride, ample storage and an ability to press on even in adverse weather conditions.
To achieve this the kayak is fine ended, has rounded chines and just a trace of deadrise.
Very high stability (initial and secondary) means that inexperienced paddlers quickly learn to handle the kayak in waves and that skilled paddlers can keep going comfortably when the weather refuses to cooperate.
Thule is a large and roomy kayak and works best with a tall paddler who has enough strength and weight to make full use of the kayaks potential.
In spite of its length Thule turns easily. In a hard beam wind though, all but the really experienced paddler would need some additional help to stay on course. A few Thule´s are built with rudders, but the really successful ones have a built-in adjustable skeg (shown in the plans). Also shown are bulkheads and hatches but my preferences are for the simple outfitting that has been successful for centuries - reliable, inexpensive and light.
Particulars
A narrower version is available - 53/51 cm - slighly faster and a little less stable. Specify at ordering.
| Length¹ |
550/523 cm (total/lwl) |
| Beam |
57/54 cm (total/lwl) |
| Draft |
11 cm |
| Cockpit¹ |
80x40 cm |
| Height¹ |
29.5/22 cm (in front of/behind the cockpit) |
| Weight² |
18-23 kg |
| Load capacity |
150 kg/150 litre |
| Speed³ |
7.4/10.8 km/h |
| Prismatic coefficient |
0.55 |
| Wetted surface |
2.23 m² |
| Drag⁴ |
1.64/3 kp |
| Stability⁵ |
4/5 (no load/max load) |
| Intended use |
Expedition and touring, coastal and open sea. Day tours and exercise. |
* These dimensions can be adapted to suit personal needs or wishes.
** Depending on type of wood, equipment, care with epoxy usage, sanding etc. etc.
*** The speed numbers are based on mathematical standard formulas (175 lb paddler + 30 lb carco weight) and corrected from the kayaks actual performance om trials, on tours and in races.
⁴ Calculated resistance in 4 and 5 knots (at nominal load capacity).
⁵ Initial stability and secondary stability on a subjective scale, where 1 is very tippy and 5 is very stable.
Stability
The curve shows the calculated stability with a static load, and therefore of limited use for a real paddler. The part of the curve near zero degrees indicates the initial (primary) stability – the steeper the curve, the more stable. The part of the curve left of the peak indicates end (secondary) stability – the higher and wider, the safer you feel edging the kayak. The position of the peak shows also how much the kayak can be leaned without tipping over. The part of the curve to the right of the peak with rapidly decreasing righting moment is almost impossible to take advantage of.
Plans
The plan sheets contain the information needed to build the kayak/canoe. Station molds, stems and construction details are in full scale. For kayaks the recommended cockpit size is shown half scale with offsets for a full scale drawing and advice on altering the size. On the plans you will also find advice on how to shorten or lengthen the craft. Lines and construction drawings are in metric scale 1:10.
The illustrated step-by-step building manual is in Swedish only, but it is available online in english: it covers all steps in detail and will guide first-time builders through the project.
Plans, Thule - 94 EUR
Purchase
