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The Flood
Posted by: CEWilson
on Apr-18-12 8:52 AM (EST)
In the beginning, Bell had three problematical tandems. WE tried to buy the 222 and 190 Cruiser molds/ rights, etc from Sawyert. When that fell through, we prevailed on Bill Swift to release DY from exclusive contract to design two tandems for us in exchange for two solos for Swift.
So there were two; NorthWoods, 18.5'X36" and NorthStar, 16.5' and 34.5". Both were race spec tandems with the then radical concept of bothering to tumblehome tandems. Quite a bit of discussion over the latter, as DY didn't think it necessary and Ted was unconvinced re the two piece mold.
It soon became obvious that we'd a hole in our marketing concept. There were lots of tandem pairing too larger for the pocket rocket NStar yet without the stick skills/horsepower to overcome the wetted surface of a full on 18.5 cruiser. Worse, Swift wouldn't release a third DY tandem to BCW. Sooo, we made up a very heavy glass NWoods, removed the foot long section centering max beam, faired it back together, pooched out the quarters a scooch, filled in the cheek a little and sanded in a little more rocker. NorthWind was born. It became Bell's best selling tandem pretty quickly.
Much later, Tom Pemsing, our NE Rep, became enamored by the little MRC, later VT Canoe and Lincoln tandems that sold well in the region. He insisted Bell needed a competitor but DY refused to design a tandem under 15 feet. The easy answer was to collapse the NWoods 36" stations since the NStars narrower statios would prove pretty tippy shortened. As Bell was doing the half foot thing, MorningStar was born at 15.5'
MorningStar is a USCA Cruiser collapsed to 15.5', with all the benefits of significant and differential rocker, tumblehomed sides and DY's proven sea-kindlyness. It doesn't push the water away from the hole as easily as the longer North hulls but it also doesn't have as much skin friction. At recreational speeds and exertion levels she's probably plenty fast and more importantly efficiency is great for it's length.
Paying under a $K for a Black/Gold laminate? That is an act of theft from the community at large which should be punished by mandatory rounds for all paddlers in the house throughout the 2012 paddling season.
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