MICRONAUTICAL BOAT DESIGN

Finally, a one-minute video that shows the S4 Microskiff in a “walkaround” scene, and not in action –

Better late than never!  😀

Most people don’t design their own microskiff, or portable boat, but many love to outfit it, and build accessories for it  –

Wavewalk recently published several articles on subjects related to Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.

Kurt Raimer’s from WA state outfitted his S4 microskiff for fishing salmon and trout:

Bill Seay’s report on his Easy-Load for his S4:

Terry Wilkison’s new white S4 is loaded with DIY upgrades:

Read full article: https://wavewalk.com/blog/2023/04/19/first-tandem-spearfishing-trip-in-my-white-s4-microskiff-guam/

How To Trim My S4 Microskiff For Speed? » Design, including boat design, is about choosing the formula that would best answer the requirements of the user. In the case of the S4 Microskiff, the requirements for extreme portability (easy car topping) and versatility (ability to paddle) led to a limitation on engine power, mostly due to its weight. Many boat owners care about being able to reach the maximum speed that their boat allows for, so they spend much time and money on trimming their boat, and this article offers S4 Microskiff owners information and hand-on advice on how to trim their boat for speed.

One of the fist questions that future S4 owners ask is about motorizing, and more specifically, what size motor would best fit their needs –

3.5 HP or 6 HP outboard motor for my S4 microskiff? »
Wavewalk and its dealers sell the S4 microskiff non-motorized, and it’s up to the boat owner to choose what type and size of motor they will use. Wavewalk offers plenty of info and good advice on these subjects, and this is the latest article in this series.

It’s worth mentioning here that Wavewalk’s website offers dozens of articles including on subjects related to boat design and DIY projects.
Articles Directory »

 

According to this article, the answer to this question depends on who’s asking – It’s possible for young and fit anglers who are willing to compromise substantially to fish out of kayaks, but all others are effectively prevented from doing it, because typically, kayaks are neither stable nor comfortable enough for serving in the capacity of a fishing vessel.

Stability and comfort, namely ergonomics, are related directly to boat design, and kayaks don’t necessarily have to be unstable or uncomfortable. With the same size of a typical fishing kayak, Wavewalk’s W720 and S4 provide a much higher degree of stability, seaworthiness, and comfort. People who use these boats never suffer from back pain while they travel in them, or fish from them, and neither do they experience instability when they stand up, as they would in SOT fishing kayaks, .

And by “people” we mean everyone, not just persons who are young and fit.

Speaking of Boat Design, words are not enough, and one must use numbers: The above series of images shows the W720, a patented catamaran kayak skiff that weighs 85 lbs, and is 31 inches wide. These dimensions make it easy to paddle compared to the top tier SOT fishing kayaks who are always wider and in most cases considerably heavier, while providing less stability than the W720 design does.
85 lbs and 31 inches are low figures in this field of top-tier fishing kayaks, and they also make Wavewalk’s kayaks easier to cartop, transport, and carry than other fishing kayaks, which can weigh over 100 lbs (up to 140 lbs!…), and be as wide as 42 inches, namely “barges”.