David Yost- boat designer and paddling purist
With another paddling season gone by, and with us all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spring, the Swift R&D team has been busy engineering several new prototypes for future production. Here is a sneak peek at the development of a new Swift canoe, a boat we hope to unveil in 2011. While we can't give away too many secrets about the method behind the magic, this will give you a rare glimpse into the world of Swift Canoe Research & Development. These pictures depict the making of a new 16 foot canoe plug by David Yost, our principal boat designer and long-time colleague. In these pictures you'll see DY refining the hull using the tried and true methods of boat design. This hand-crafted, meticulously detailed, pine wood hull will become the foundation for a new canoe mould, eventually giving us the means to produce more of the high-quality composite boats our customers have come to love and expect. To learn more, keep an eye on Swift over the winter or stop by one of the many off-season trade shows and ask about our new designs. And of course, watch out for the unveiling of several new Swift designs in the coming months!
The Swift R&D Team completing the hull for the new canoe plug
Fine tuning the bow lines and rocker using hand shaped pine wood strips
Refining the hull shape to complete the master plug. Once the exterior hull shape is completed, the inserts will be removed and the inside will be sanded down and covered in a single layer of fiberglass to allow for mould production.
DY in his element
Stay tuned for more....
