Jerry wrote; (SNIP of Ralph's comments) >If it is true that long saddle time is required to get comfortable in the >Nordkapp, does that imply, to use J Winters' term, that the Nordkapp >requires active rather than passive control? But isn't the Nordkapp famous >for long distance travel in rough conditions, rather than for playing along >the coast? Yes, but in the cases I know of the people involved were rather remarkable and the voyages were along the coast (Paul Caffyn for example). I think open water voyages have differnet requirements. > >Does it take a year to get used to the Nordkapp because it does not handle >well? Certainly, after a year in the Nordkapp, one would become a much >better paddler. But wouldn't a even Nordkapp trained paddler then be better >off, on a long open water crossing, in a more forgiving boat. To paraphrase >J Winters, even a Nordkapp trained paddler could get tired or stupid. I am not sure about the time involved but I suspect paddling a more challenging boat does improve ones skills. On the other hand, I suspect most people would agree that each individual objective and person has different requirements and that the skills required fit into a different heirarchy. I believe, for instance, that my experience sailing 505's, Finns and Flying Dutchman sailboats made me a much better keel boat sailor but I know plenty of people who never ever sailed a dingy who sailed rings around me in keel boats. Learning to right or keep upright a sailing dinghy is important if one sails dinghies but the skill looses its importance if one sails a keel boat. >I just use the Nordkapp as an example. Never paddled one. But two boats I >have experience with in 20 knot down weather paddles are the Arluk II and >Solstice GTS. Both are 22 " beam, 18' and 17'7" length respectively. I >like both boats but the GTS is quite a bit easier handling down wind, I.e., >more forgiving. This seems to me "better". What advantage is to be gained >from the less forgiving boat? The "advantage" has to do with objectives. The question I would ask would be, "What does the Arluk do better than the Solstice and when do you find that more important to you than downwind handling in 20 knot winds?" 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Oct 05 1998 - 05:49:17 PDT
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