[Paddlewise] Rudders, Skegs and Paddles

Even though I don't have anything real new to add on these subjects
(this, of course has never stopped me before) I do have a headache, and
it's getting hard to sift through all these posts.

On Skegs and Rudders:
I think it was St. Augustine who said "love God and sin boldly".  It
seems that a similar view could be had on skegs and rudders.  Work on
your skills so that you learn to handle a boat without these gadgets and
then use them any time you want to.

On Paddles:
Every style paddle has its advantages and disadvantages.  Anyone who
says one kind is the best for everyone is nuts.
BTW, can anyone tell me how a Greenland-style paddle (I understand the
paddle to have symetrical ends and sides), can have lift?  I may be
missing something here but, unless you tilt the blade, (a condition
which would produce lift out of most any paddle blade) it produces no
lift.
The fact that the blade of a Greenland-style paddle has less "bite" on
the water (and air), and therefore is easy on the elbows is great, but I
can get the same softness out of other kinds of paddles and not have to
put up with the heavy weight and the limitation in paddling styles. 
Granted, my paddle doesn't have the aesthetic advantage of having
started its life as a 2x4 but it does, in turn, have the advantage of
not having started as a 2x4 too.

My head still aches.  Oh well.

John Winskill
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