Am the new owner of an almost new Ocean Kayak "Scrambler" --- a high volume sit-on-top. Lots of fun --- just what I wanted for the knocking around I'd like to do. But I'm also a Pintail driver --- low volume, high maneuverability, not "fast" but very quick. Wow, what a difference! Took the Scrambler out on the post-frontal passage St. Mary's River this evening --- 12 knots solid down the river with gusts five to eight knots over that, low chop --- about a foot. Interesting phenomenon --- running downwind, the boat seemed to be showing a weather helm, with a solid indication that it wanted to come all the way around and back into the wind. But it didn't --- just went into a "broach helm" (if there is such a thing), beam to the wind and parallel to the seas. Interesting! Then I tried it into the wind --- and, left to its own devices, it neutralled out basically the same way, abeam the wind and parallel to the troughs. This does <not> happen to the Pintail, and I'm a little confused by this tendency to sit abeam the wind and parallel to the seas. Is this a natural tendency for most boats? Any ideas to correct it? Jack *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Jack wrote; (SNIP) > Took the Scrambler out on the post-frontal passage St. Mary's River > this evening --- 12 knots solid down the river with gusts five to > eight knots over that, low chop --- about a foot. Interesting > phenomenon --- running downwind, the boat seemed to be showing a > weather helm, with a solid indication that it wanted to come all the > way around and back into the wind. But it didn't --- just went into a > "broach helm" (if there is such a thing), beam to the wind and > parallel to the seas. Interesting! Then I tried it into the wind --- > and, left to its own devices, it neutralled out basically the same > way, abeam the wind and parallel to the troughs. This does <not> > happen to the Pintail, and I'm a little confused by this tendency to > sit abeam the wind and parallel to the seas. Is this a natural > tendency for most boats? Any ideas to correct it? Many boats tend to lay abeam in seas. The cause is the circular orbits of water particles in the wave. The particles in the trough and crest travel in opposite directions. So, if the boat is at any angle to the wave a turning moment exists and persists until the boat reaches equilibrium. Typically this is when the boat is parallel to the waves. Not all boats do this and some will head downwind some upwind and some at an angle. It depends upon the windage and underwater drag at various angles. My recollection from reading about life raft safety is that any long, narrow object floating in the water and in the absence of wind or other outside force will align parallel to the wave and, if the windage is balanced will align that way even in wind. For this reason life rafts are usually round or some other shape with an aspect ratio of 1.0. Skegs and rudders seem to cure excessive weather helm best. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ . *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> Am the new owner of an almost new Ocean Kayak "Scrambler" --- a high > volume sit-on-top. Lots of fun --- just what I wanted for the > knocking around I'd like to do. But I'm also a Pintail driver --- low > volume, high maneuverability, not "fast" but very quick. Wow, what a > difference! > > Took the Scrambler out on the post-frontal passage St. Mary's River > this evening --- 12 knots solid down the river with gusts five to > eight knots over that, low chop --- about a foot. Interesting > phenomenon --- running downwind, the boat seemed to be showing a > weather helm, with a solid indication that it wanted to come all the > way around and back into the wind. But it didn't --- just went into a > "broach helm" (if there is such a thing), beam to the wind and > parallel to the seas. Interesting! Then I tried it into the wind --- > and, left to its own devices, it neutralled out basically the same > way, abeam the wind and parallel to the troughs. This does <not> > happen to the Pintail, and I'm a little confused by this tendency to > sit abeam the wind and parallel to the seas. Is this a natural > tendency for most boats? Any ideas to correct it? > > Jack I own a scrambler XT that I bought when they first came out. You think that's interesting...wait 'till you get into the surf. If you don't have a perfect 90 degree angle with the wave, the boat turns sideways automatically. Within seconds, you're riding the wave sideways without a chance of correction. The boat is super stable though, and I've had 8 foot waves break on top of me as I was sideways, and I never tipped. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
How do you compare that experience with paddling in the bay? And (2) is the storm Charlie giving you a workout? Robert > >I own a scrambler XT that I bought when they first came out. You think >that's interesting...wait 'till you get into the surf. If you don't have a >perfect 90 degree angle with the wave, the boat turns sideways >automatically. Within seconds, you're riding the wave sideways without a >chance of correction. The boat is super stable though, and I've had 8 foot >waves break on top of me as I was sideways, and I never tipped. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 98-08-20 16:02:55 EDT, wochse_at_connecti.com writes: << I own a scrambler XT that I bought when they first came out. You think that's interesting...wait 'till you get into the surf. If you don't have a perfect 90 degree angle with the wave, the boat turns sideways automatically. Within seconds, you're riding the wave sideways without a chance of correction. The boat is super stable though, and I've had 8 foot waves break on top of me as I was sideways, and I never tipped. >> Gee, thanks! Can't wait to side surf Bethany Beach in six foot dumpers! Where did I get the idea these things could carve a wave on a diagonal? Gotta be 90 degrees, huh? Fun in vertical surf! And the XT is a good deal more stable than the straight Scrambler. Cool. Jack *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 98-08-20 09:04:42 EDT, 735769_at_ican.net (John Winters) writes: << Many boats tend to lay abeam in seas. The cause is the circular orbits of water particles in the wave. The particles in the trough and crest travel in opposite directions. So, if the boat is at any angle to the wave a turning moment exists and persists until the boat reaches equilibrium. Typically this is when the boat is parallel to the waves. >> Thanks for the explanation, John. Guess I should have figured that. If this little ducky is like this in one to two foot stuff, I can't wait to side surf some big dumping stuff out at the beach --- per another response! Well, I wanted this thing for catching a few Rockfish, anyway --- and bird watching, too, maybe. Yeah, nice quiet birds! Jack *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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