Project Direction

[RainGull]

I want to build a fast rowboat that will handle work and fairly heavy seas. The idea is to build a kayak below the waterline, wide enough for 400 lbs. rower and gear (total). At/slightly above the waterline I want to have a ton of hull just skimming the surface. I want a shallow entry up to the waterline and then very steep to part the chop at/above.

1) Is this stupid and why?

2) Is there a resource to see what different boat footprints are at the waterline? Should I just search for boats to add to Hulls and then look at the linesplan?

I am obviously out of my league at this point but trust me, I'll scale the learning curve after a couple a hundred builds.

[SailDesign]

What you need, Raingull, is a good traditional Whitehall. Maybe in glass to reduce un-needed weight, since it is to "work", but the shape is still good.
Boats with skinny underbodies such as you describe have been built, mainly in Asia. Wish I could offer a reason for this geographical thingy, but I can't. Anyone?
Using a smaller hull iwth a "larger" one grafted oin the top is fine until you hit a wave, at which point the low pwer that you have been suing will be completely overcome and the boat will stop. Make it heavy enough to power through this, and you will no longer have a skinny boat underneath, it will have grown to take the extra weight.
Steve