Re: [Paddlewise] Down Wave Stability

From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 02:15:46 -0700
Gerald Foodman wrote:
> 
> [snip]  But down wave directional instability
> can be scary.  I have been in some boats that felt truly fine in windy
> choppy conditions, until I turned down wind.
> 
> I have been told that a "double ender", with fine entry and exit hull shape,
> is a term for a sailboat that handles down weather easily.  Does the same
> apply to kayaks?

Could be, but any hull will have some directional instability down wave,
*until it begins to surf on the wave.*  Then the stability normally
increases, though most sea kayak hulls (I think) will not be stable
straight down the wave.  Rather, they will be stable to the left (or
right), as you force a chine to carve on the wave.

The directional instability comes (in part) from the differences in
speed of the water in the wave.  Check out Bascom's "Waves and Beaches"
for a description of water motion within a wave.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

***************************************************************************
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 Fri Oct 09 1998 - 02:14:24 PDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:00 PDT