Cedar Strip Kayak Building: Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars from top: Richard Kohlström's, Scott Fitzgerrell's, then me (before installing a backband) and Henry Romer (after installing a backband which moves the paddler foreward) in Moonlight Dancer

 

I've been asking other Shooting Star owners where they put their cockpits, since I was concerned that I trimmed mine stern heavy. From the pictures it looks like I put the cockpit way to far back.  Could it be the angle the pictures were taken?  In the top two pictures the kayaks may be angled away from the camera, which would make the bow look shorter relative to the stern.  That effect may be exaggerated with a zoom lens. 

According to Rob Macks, the cockpit on mine isn't more than 2 inches too far back if anything.  Since cockpit sizes will vary, the plans should really specify where the backrest should be, and not the front and back edges of the coaming.  I know I'm probably making a big deal about nothing, since there is really nothing wrong with the way she paddles, as far as I or anyone else can tell.  I haven't started asking someone to take video of me paddling so I can analyze it... yet.

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