The drawings for the new Freedom Solo, buildable at 15' 3" and 16' 2" are now ready.
The plans were mainly developed for the 15' 3" boat, but expanding the station spacing to 12 3/4" (from the standard 12") and using the special stem mold shapes (included in the plans) will result in a very fine 16' 2" canoe.
All the features discuss on this forum were considered and many incorporated into the final design. The stems have been slightly modified, the tumblehome starts further aft and of course we have capacity for larger paddlers. I hope you like it.
The description from the plans is as follows:
'The Freedom 15’ 3” Solo is the result of a unique project initiated in the spring of 2006. Steve Killing had been considering a new solo tripping canoe design and, coincidentally, discussions on the Bear Mountain internet builders’ forum were about a similar boat. As an experiment, Steve decided to poll the opinions of paddlers and builders as he designed the boat. Predictably, opinions varied, but did so about a common theme. The boat, they felt should be short, light, medium tracking and therefore medium maneuverability, low freeboard, narrow, and offered in two lengths. The unique tumblehome chine was accepted (by most) as a good solution, attractive, and relatively easy to build. The result is a fine solo tripping canoe which will require at least intermediate paddling skills due to its lower-than-average stability. Designed by Steve Killing and a bunch of internet friends he has never met.'
Attached here are images of the lines drawing page, the web image and the specs from the first page.
I look forward to hearing of progress from our first builders.
Regards,
Steve Killing
