Smart
Latest updated Monday, February 5, 2024, 23 comments
Images | Particulars | More about | Background and history
Plans, Smart - 120 EUR
Purchase
Smart (designed 1999) is a handy little kayak with the same hull form as Kavat and Nomad. Designed primarily as a safe and easily handled kayak for beginners, Smart makes an excellent touring kayak for anybody who has learned the fine art of traveling light. And I do not mean "spartan traveling light". With a load capacity of 125 kg, Smart offers luxuries that a backpacker could only dream of. On a day tour, Smart would float even heavy paddlers.
Like Kavat, Smart is light, swift and extremely maneuverable. Initial stability is high, empty or with a full load, and even a novice will feel safe and experience full control in moderate seas. Movements are calm and predictable - you can park the paddle and take a photo, take on or off an anorak or have a cup of tea. But in large waves, the stability becomes a problem, causing excessive movements that are tiring in the long run (an unavoidable consequence of high stability). Most rescue methods work fine in Smart, but if you intend to excel in rolling, there are better kayaks to choose from. For its length, Smart has a high touring speed. The hull is designed so that friction and wave-making simultaneously hit a low spot slightly below 4 knots, indicating that you can go 4 knots with very little effort. The downside of this arrangement is that top speed is not very impressive - do not enter races in Smart! But if you do - feel free to blame the designer if you do not win. Due to its maneuverability, Smart is fun to use in rapids, surf, and rock-hopping.
Particulars
| Length¹ |
485/442 cm (overall/WL) |
| Beam |
59/57 cm (overall/WL) |
| Draft |
11 cm |
| Cockpit¹ |
80x40 cm |
| Height¹ |
27/22 cm (in front of/behind the cockpit) |
| Weight² |
15-20 kg |
| Displacement/volume⁶ |
130 kg/305 litre |
| Speed³ |
7/10 km/h |
| Prismatic coefficient |
0.56 |
| Wetted surface |
1.99 m² |
| Drag⁴ |
1.59/3.4 kp |
| Stability⁵ |
5/5 (initial/secondary stability) |
| Intended use |
Coastal and open sea touring. Lakes and rivers (rapids included). 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.
⁶ Displacement is kayak + paddler + load. Count off the kayak weight to get the load capacity.
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 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, Smart - 120 EUR
Purchase
More about Smart
Smart is a short and handy kayak on the same lines as Kavat and Nomad. It is intended as a convenient touring kayak along the coast or in inland waters. The capacity is adequate for extended touring if you can accept a slight loss of top speed compared to the longer kayaks. The LOA and the maneuverability make it ideal for youngsters.
Smart is light, quick and easily controlled, and with high initial stability, even beginners will feel safe and in control in moderate waves and challenging conditions. With easy and easily predicted movements you can park the paddle to take a photo, don the jacket, or pause for a cup of coffee.
As with Kavat, Smart has a surprisingly high touring pace – 7-8 km/h (approx 4 knots) without working too hard. The downside of this friction/wave-making configuration is that some top speed is sacrificed – don't enter a race with Smart. But on the other hand, don't be scared of whitewater. Smart has the maneuverability to handle conditions, that in theory would be outside its scope, due to the length.
Smart is easy to enter from the water, should you capsize. But if you are interested in learning to roll, chose another kayak– f x a Jack 14 or a Frej.
Smart – background and history
Smart is simply a scaled Kavat and was designed as a response to repeated requests for a shorter kayak - both from builders with limited space for construction and storage and from those who felt that a short Kavat would be ideal for touring on lakes and in streams, surfing, and whitewater.
