[Paddlewise] Paddling in a Straight Line

Hello paddlewisers

I haven't been active on this list for a few months, but I've occasionally
been lurking around the digest. Hope you all had a good summer on the water,
or winter for the hemispherically challenged :-).

My comments re the paddling in a straight line/skeg thread. I first got a
boat with a retractable skeg two years ago (P&H capella), and initially I
found that most of the time I preferred the feel of the boat with the skeg
down (where it felt more like my previous no skeg, straight as an arrow,
better lean this 30degress if you want it to turn boat). I now find that I
very rarely deploy the skeg - only really if I'm paddling on a relatively
long straight course when there is  a quartering wind ** and ** the sea
state is relatively calm.  In these conditions tuning the boat with the skeg
to neutral with respect to the wind is very helpful.  However, most of my
paddling is on an exposed craggy coast where there is effectively no
protected water and windy conditions with no sea state are unfortunately
rare. Commonly for me if there is wind  there is also a confused sea state,
which has far more effect on the boats handling than any weather helm. In
windy conditions I now usually opt for the more playful manoeuvrable feel of
the boat with the skeg retracted, mainly because:

	In a confused sea the boat is constantly being knocked about and moved
around (whether you have a rudder, skeg or whatever - the playing field
itself is moving around :-). A  manoeuvrable boat is more easily returned to
its course.

	If there is any sea state the wind strength is constantly changing
depending on whether you are in a trough or a crest.

	The boat is far more responsive and predictable while surfing (during which
stern rudder strokes are far more important in maintaining course than the
skeg)

The disadvantages of the skeg are as I see it trivial: It takes up a bit of
space in the rear hatch, and it is susceptible to damage - but this is more
of a pilot error issue. (I have had experience of being washed sideways over
a submerged rock with the skeg deployed - the skeg itself was unscathed but
the control cable was kinked so badly where it entered the skeg box that the
skeg was jammed in the half way down position until I could get the boat
into the workshop, a tad inconvenient. Oops.).

So.... I rarely use the skeg, but I strongly recommend them. You can have a
manoeuvrable and straight running boat in one, and you can change the whole
feel of the boat with one finger.

horses for courses of course

Cheers
Colin Calder
57º19'N  2º10'W

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