Free Ships

Literally and, more relevantly for this entry, metaphorically speaking, kayak touring is taking me to places I didn't expect to go. And I'm absolutely loving it.

Not only I've overcome a lifelong wariness towards DIY projects (my Greenland paddle is finished, more on that, soon...), but, lately, I've found myself fooling around with naval architecture freeware with excursions into the even wider field of 3d design.
The program I've ended up using almost exclusively is called FREESHIP. To my lack of experience, it has proved reasonably easy to use, while still doing most of what I'd want of it. Mostly, what I want is to produce 3d models of traditional kayaks that I can enjoy looking at . Those models can be exported to the more artistic types of 3d programs, where, if I find the time, I might try to add textures and whatnot to them for (hopefully) increased aesthetic value.



Well, I'm curious, so it was probably inevitable that I'd actually end up trying to do more than just admiring nice views of kayaks. I admit I'm also attempting to use FREESHIP to explore some performance features of the designs. You know, speed vs. resistance, stability.... In this regard a few words of caution, should someone else feel inclined to try his hand at it: at a certain point in time, FREESHIP V 2.6 became DelftShip Free 3.2 and grew a commercial version (reasonably priced, I'd say). In the process, the freeware avatar gained some better functioning of the interface, but lost the stability analysis. Bringing models done with DelftShip Free 3.2 version to 2.6 has proven a real pain, at least to me (the freeware does not allow "save as" older versions, as the commercial version does) and I'm now having to redo a number of models I made in 3.2. Hence, if stability interests you, I'd advise to start with ole FREESHIP 2.6 and stick to it.


Finally, I must admit that the name of the software makes it endearing to me. Just because of the "freedom" connotation. I know: it is actually about costs, but, to me, connections, no matter how unintended, casual or accidental, are connections. In an article in Adventure Kayak John Dowd told about how once, while doing consulting work, he asked the employees of the kayak section of a store what they were really selling. They eventually answered that they were selling freedom (wouldn't that automatically make kayaking gear very inexpensive? Freedom is pricless, isn't it? I don't actually expect my SO will see it that way, though) and I think they got it right. To me, the kayak functions very much as a vehicle to moments, often fleeting, of feeling free. Hardly original, of course, but I derive childish amusement from fumbling with models of these ships to freedom through software that has "FREE" in its name.

Yep, I can be that silly.