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Name: martinspurling
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My boat is made from very rough strips cut from not properly dry Western Red Cedar but has nevertheless resulted in a good looking and very servicable boat. Wood construction generally is much stronger than most people realise due to being covered inside and out with glass and epoxy while being very light weight. I dont think I would do the Dart loop in it, but would happily tackle the section below.
It is the lightness that is the first thing you notice on the water (as well as carrying to the water!). Whether paddling as single or double it is possible to spin the boat in it's own length with ease. The down side is that in a wind it skids around something wicked. Makes you think hard about trim. If more canoes were this fun to paddle there would be a lot more open canoeists. It looks good too!
At even second glance this boat looks distinctly odd with it's 'hooked' bow and chopped off stern. The cockpit looks far too far back and the rocker seems extreme even compared to some of the more extreme E Greenland 'rolling' boats. A lot of volume is carried forward and even more so aft and the relative lack of curve means that the hull does not respond very well to leaned turns (the 'chopped off' stern seems to act as an excellent skeg too). Primary stability is quite good and there is secondary stability too, but it is less distinct that with a chined hull. At rest the hull tends to turn down wind but once moving tends to turn into it a bit, but really tracks very well wherever you point it and while it has a drop skeg I have only used a very small amount as yet.
I have yet to really try, but the Fire Star is reputed to surf well on a following sea and such waves as I've found so far suggest this is true.Rolling is not a problem provided you outfit the cockpit to fit you. I confess that I have not fitted the elegant wooden hatches held on with rare earth magnets as in the plans as I doubt my ability to keep these dry in everyday paddling and instead it has kayaksport hatches and home made very strong recessed fittings for the deck lines.
This is a boat built to handle rough water and wind. If you are an obsessional rock hopper then it's not for you. If you want to stand out in a crowd then it is without rival.