Question for the boat guys
 

Is a hogged rocker boat slower than a flat rocker boat? I have a canoe that has about 3/4" of hog in the keel over a length of 17'. That is, when in the water, the bow and stern hang about 3/4" lower than the middle of the boat. This being OT I expect some Canadian bacon jokes, but if anyone could help with this question I would sure appreciate it. There seems to be very little information out there regarding this issue. The reason I ask is that I am doing a 40 mile canoe race later this Summer and I want to have something to blame my slow time on. The canoe is made of kevlar and still seems to be very stiff.

Flat will be faster.

set the fat guy in the middle

This is just too easy :D

One person or two?
I'd guess the hog would travel in a straighter line with one, and require less crossover.

Query...does the hogging serve as a keel for tracking? I thought hogging was bad.

The boat started out with a flat keel line. I think over the years it became hogged because of the paddler at each end of the boat weighing it down. The ends don't have a lot of buoancy compared to the middle so maybe that's why it gave there.

I can't see any good reason for a hogged keel line, although it may give some directional stability in a cross-tailwind. I just can't visualize how it slows the boat down but I think it must.

Thanks guys

you could try to warp it back into shape
by
setting it on sawhorses at each end with a weight in the center
or try a cable and spreader [centered 2x4] to pull the ends up
go eazy and slow with any such trys as not to bust the canoe

yes the hog will cost speed
it increases drag at the wrong point [separation ]

Update
 

Ok, I went with Nota's suggestion, thanks Nota, and set up a strap and wood system. At first nothing moved. The hog at its worst point was still 17mm. I then drilled out most of the rivets holding the aluminum gunwhales on and the hog immediately went to around 5-7mm.

My plan is to spray the inside bottom of the boat with black plasti-dip and set it out in the sun for a spell. I'm hoping the heat will soften it a little bit. Once it is where I want it, or slightly past, I will drill new holes for the gunwhales and re-rivet it. I will then peel off the plasti-dip and let the hull cool.

Here is a pic of the contraption; the orange strap is connected to the ends of the boat and goes over a 2x6 T shaped piece of wood.

Thanks guys.

http://gkr69s.smugmug.com/Other/My-D...DSC01851-M.jpg

glad to help
you could try to click it up once a day a notch
over time it should straiten

So it's a Canadian, duh Ottawa, Canada. Tell us about the race? 40 miles seems quite a long way :eek: Are you the only person in the canoe and what paddling style do you do. The reason I ask is here in NZ no one knows about Canadian canoes, well other than me, so I thought I's quiz you. This is me :)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1373347074.jpg

Hi Bill, nice canoe! The race starts in North Bay, Ontario and follows what used to be a major fur trading route down the Mattawa river to Mattawa, Ontario.
Depending on water levels you can face as few as 5 or as many as 12 portages, some of which require scaling rockfaces and hoisting your canoe up in order to bypass large rapids.

I will be doing it in a two person canoe and will be using what is called marathon canoe racing style, which means a fairly high stroke rate and switching sides every 6-10 strokes. No j-stroke is used with this style, except to avoid rocks, bears :eek:or moose along the way.

Cheers!