Re: [Paddlewise] What is rough weather performance?

Gerald Foodman wrote:
> 
> K. Whilden wrote (in another context):
> >The Coho is one of the
> >smoothest rough water boats I have ever paddled, and I expect the Tern
> >will be similar. I also expect the Tern to have better performance while
> >surfing wind waves and to hold an edge better in following seas. The hard
> >edge will probably make it less forgiving than the Coho, but probably not
> >significant for a good paddler. IMO performance is more important than
> >forgiveness, and in general a twitchier boat only feels twitchy for a
> >short while until skills grow to accomodate the boat.
> 
> What exactly do you mean by performance of a sea kayak in following seas?
> Is it  just  speed down weather?  If so, how would you measure it?  Isn't
> ease of handling while surfing wind waves the same thing as "forgiveness"?
> When you say that the Coho is smooth in rough water, isn't it forgiveness
> you are talking about, and isn't that good?  Is there any advantage to
> twitchiness per se?  Could you not have both good and poor performing
> twitchy boats?

Not sure I'm the one to help out here, but when I read Kevin's post, I
felt I knew what he meant.  I've got a Pygmy Osprey STd, which has a
multi-chine hull with a profile similar to that of the Coho.  (It is a
foot and a half shorter, LOA, so it is a different boat.)  *Depending on
how I have it loaded* (nose-down vs. tail-down) it is either "smooth" or
"twitchy" in a following sea.  When it's twitchy, it seems to "hunt" for
a stable lean angle -- and is not comfortable dead flat to the water. 
So, it twitches my butt back and forth between a slight left lean and a
slight right lean, being more comfortable just to the left or just to
the right.

Is that kinda what you meant, Kevin?

Before I got used to that, I felt mighty nervous in that boat in
following seas.  Now, I just push it either left or right, and
brace/rudder it where I want it to go.  Feels good, now.

I have another boat (we call it "the cargo barge," 'cause it's huge),
which is so lethargic in a following sea I guess you could think of it
as the ultimate forgiver.  It mushes around in a following sea, and
never twitches.  It is sort of a dog, and not a lot of fun, unless the
swell gets pretty big, when Dave the paddler turns into an even bigger
chicken!

Well, Jerry, I don't know if the above helps.  Maybe not.  Now I've
introduced animal comparisons, and all we had before was twitch and
forgive!

Sorry ...
-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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