: Please don't characterize my knowledge base. I don't assume you are ignorant,
: please do the same for me.

: Just in "Qajaq" there are several examples of "baidarkas"
: with radically different hull shapes from no rocker (Figure 38), to highly
: rockered (Figure 24). Long and skinny (fig 16) to short and fat (Fig 38).
: Deep "V" (Fig 16) to very round (Fig 24). Looking at examples of
: Greenland designs I can find similar variation. These variations will all
: effect handling and speed. And the variations show significant overlap.

I do question your knowledge and intent when you erroneously include fig 38 which is not a baidarka and is in the new heading in the "Qajaq" book of Pacific Eskimo, Fig 24 is a two hole kayak and fig 16 is a baidarka I've never seen built.

Unless you are blind or just wish to twist every point to fit your argument you know full well that the current baidarkas being built are very close to the lines of the solo baidarka pictured in fig 17 in the "Qajaq" book.

: Modern racers can consistently match the speeds attributed to the original
: baidarka paddlers.

The fact is no other arctic kayak design has had the speed attributed to it that the baidarka has. It’s a tribute to the design that a work boat (baidarka) be compared to the best specialized racing boats today’s technology can produce.

The beauty of the fluke of history of recreational kayaking that chose the Greenland kayak as archetype has left the baidarka design in a undiluted form.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com