reducing rocker on a Prospector or Nomad

[Markham_David]

I hope to begin my first canoe within the next few weeks. Due to capacity and stability constraints, and my preference for traditional appearance, the Prospector and Nomad fit the bill with one exception: too much rocker.

My canoe will be used 90% of the time on smalll and medium sized lakes, and 10% on sedate rivers connecting these lakes. Other designs, such as the Huron Cruiser, Cottage Cruiser or Bob's Special have the amount of rocker I'm looking for, but don't have the capacity (approx 520 lbs.needed). My plan is combine the rocker of the Huron Cruiser with the Nomad forms in hope of producing a better-tracking canoe.

If anyone has built the Prospector or Nomad with a rocker suitable for a lake cruiser, I'd love to hear from you! Were you satisfied with the results? Or even if you haven't built one - does this sound like it would work?

Thanks!

':smile'

Dave

[sedges]

It is really difficult to change the keel line profile without redrawing the whole boat. Look around and find a plan that suits your needs, there are many out there.

That said- We have used our prospector on lakes of all sizes, with wind and waves and in flat, glassy calm- with 480 to 600 pounds in it. It handles all of that just fine. Having rocker actually improves handling in waves. I would recommend the prospector or the nomad for the use you describe.

[Rick]

It's risky changing the amount of rocker by raising or lowering the stations, because other parts of the hull might be moved out of line and it might not be fair. According to the spec page here, the Bob's has an optimum capacity of 350-540 lbs. I believe somebody here posted that the plans describe how to stretch the stations to 16' for more volume and capacity which will raise the carrying capacity well over what you describe. The waterline width is about the same as the Prospector, but the Bob's bottom is flatter and less rounded, making it more stable with greater carrying capacity. The downside could be that the stretched Bob's will float higher in the water, making it more affected by wind when going light, it could be less efficient to paddle because of the greater surface area on the bottom, and it'll be tossed around by waves more than the Prospector. Some of these might not be so critical on small lakes and rivers.


Northwest's 17' Cruiser has less rocker and might be an alternate choice, although it seems best suited to large lakes and serious tripping:

http://www.northwestcanoe.com/store/pro ... =NWC10003C



Carrying Place's 16' Wilderness Express is another possible along with one or two others:

http://www.carryingplacecanoeworks.on.c ... anvas.html

The plans for cedarstrips are available on another page. Good luck!

[fz7m0d]

If it's only tracking you're concerned about, how about just adding a keel?

[Doug]

I agree with the thought that you might want to look around to find a canoe that fits your needs.

Here are some Canadian sites;
http://www.greenval.com/
www.bearmountainboats.com
www.noahsmarine.com

With so many designs out there, it is not worth the work to start changeing the lines of a boat the first time out.
The Prospector is a pretty respectable design.

All the best,
Doug

[Markham_David]

Thank you all very much for your thoughtful advice and good wishes!

I'm leaning toward the Prospector - just as it is - but I'll definitely check out the sites suggested by Rick and Doug.before putting saw to wood. By the way, the Bear Mountain Study Plans Catalogue lists the optimum load for the Bob's Special at 150 to 450 pounds. Since I really like the lines on it, it was my first choice, but once I read the FAQ here that even extending it to 16' would only increase the capacity to 480 pounds, I gave up on it.

Bob, adding a keel is an option, and I'm sure it would help the tracking, but I'm uneasy about perforating the hull for the screws to attach it - although I suppose it could be epoxied on? I'll have to think about that.

Thanks again, and take care.

Dave

[garypete]

Dave,

Franklin Cedar Canoes sells a plan for exactly what you are seeking-- a Prospector with less rocker and flatter bottom while still retaining the carrying capacity of the original Prospector. The designer, Charles Grossjeans, began with Bear Mountain's 16' Prospector, then flattened the bottom from a medium to to shallow arch and reduced the keeline rocker substantially. They call the modufied Prospector the Explorer.

For details, go to Franlklin Cedar Canoes website at: http://www.hogbay.com/canoes/

I built the 16' Explorer in cedarstrip version (they also sell a wood/canvas plan) and it is exactly as advertised. The above-water lines are pure Prospector while the flatter bottom and straighter keeline make it better for lake paddling. I like it so well that I'll be building two more cedarstrip Explorers this spring.

Gary

[Markham_David]

Thanks very much Gary, that sounds just right!

:big grin

I'll be sure and check it out.

Cheers,

Dave