Several postings in the last couple weeks have included claims of paddling home "...10 miles against a 20 knot head wind ..." or similar. (At least one of these was made by a paddler soloing a canoe!) I wonder about those 20 knot head winds. Was it really that windy? Here are the reasons for my skepticism. 1. It's darn tough to make much headway against a 20 knot head wind. John Dowd, in his tome "Sea Kayaking" (p. 139 of the 3rd edition) details his estimates of headway possible against wind: Head Wind (knots) Kayak Speed (knots) 10 - 15 2.50 - 2.25 15 - 20 2.25 - 1.50 20 - 30 1.50 - 0.75 Dowd's estimates seem pretty realistic, at least for this over-50 paddler. Ten (nautical) miles in a 20 knot head wind? That should take about 10/1.50 = 6.7 hrs. That's a LONG time to be paddling at full rate! (David Burch estimates a kayaker can make 1.6 - 2.4 knots against a 20 knot head wind, for comparison.) 2. The "sea state" associated with a 20 knot wind (force 5) is pretty vigorous, and observably different from that at force 4 (taken from Burch; p 95 of "Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation"): Beaufort Knots Effects at Sea Effects on Land Number 4 11-16 Small waves, becoming Dust, leaves raised up; larger; numerous whitecaps small branches move 5 17-21 Moderate waves taking Small trees in leaf longer form; many white- begin to sway caps; some spray I suspect many of those "20 knot head wind" days were more like 10 knot head winds, which produce "scattered whitecaps" (Burch). The spray at Force 5 is very characteristic, in my experience. No spray at Force 4 or less. I'd be interested in hearing from folks who feel, from the information above, that they REALLY DID paddle 10 miles home into the teeth of a genuine 20 knot head wind. I've never done that, being part of the old age and treachery crowd. Once I paddled **one mile** against Force 8 (35 - 40 knots) -- took me 2.5 hours of *very hard,* constant effort, and I was completely bushed at the end. So let's hear it, you young, strong paddlers ... was that *really* a 20 knot head wind? What was the sea state like? -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR -- Beating the drum for old age and treachery. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> Several postings in the last couple weeks have included claims of > paddling home "...10 miles against a 20 knot head wind ..." or similar. > (At least one of these was made by a paddler soloing a canoe!) I wonder > about those 20 knot head winds. Was it really that windy? Here are the > reasons for my skepticism. The best way to find out is to lookup nearby bouy data, and then ask yourself if the position you were paddling in was sheltered. > 1. It's darn tough to make much headway against a 20 knot head wind. John > Dowd, in his tome "Sea Kayaking" (p. 139 of the 3rd edition) details his > estimates of headway possible against wind: > > Head Wind (knots) Kayak Speed (knots) > > 10 - 15 2.50 - 2.25 > 15 - 20 2.25 - 1.50 > 20 - 30 1.50 - 0.75 > > Dowd's estimates seem pretty realistic, at least for this over-50 > paddler. Ten (nautical) miles in a 20 knot head wind? That should take > about 10/1.50 = 6.7 hrs. That's a LONG time to be paddling at full rate! > (David Burch estimates a kayaker can make 1.6 - 2.4 knots against a 20 > knot head wind, for comparison.) Ok, I admit I'm 31 and benchpress over 200lbs; paddling upwind feels like paddling upcurrent. Which I routinely do, and its not all *that* horrible. Technique wise, wind feels different though. You need that paddle feathered, you need as little boat sticking out of the water as possible, and you need to be make your torso as short as possible. Then paddle with fairly quick stroke count. Against strong current, I like to dig deep and hard with the paddle but use a much lower stroke count where possible. Perhaps a good use for Canadian Ballast Rocks? The less of the kayak that sticks out of the water, the less effect wind has... A greenland style paddle might be pretty cool too; though I haven't tried one. > Beaufort Knots Effects at Sea Effects on Land > Number > 4 11-16 Small waves, becoming Dust, leaves raised up; > larger; numerous whitecaps small branches move > > 5 17-21 Moderate waves taking Small trees in leaf > longer form; many white- begin to sway > caps; some spray > > I suspect many of those "20 knot head wind" days were more like 10 knot > head winds, which produce "scattered whitecaps" (Burch). The spray at > Force 5 is very characteristic, in my experience. No spray at Force 4 or > less. Sea state is probably the best guestimate method of determining wind speed on open water; but if you really want to know, they make handheld windspeed measurers [name escapes me...] Personally I trust the buoy data and weather reports of current conditions more than I trust my ability to gauge wind or sea state while trying to get somewhere. I spend most of my mental energy making sure I stick to the form I want, keep a good cadence, and keep my track on the bearing that I want. > So let's hear it, you young, strong paddlers ... was that *really* a 20 > knot head wind? What was the sea state like? Big waves crashing over the deck; which I happen to like a lot. Lake Travis, near Austin. These waves were of course assisted by boat wakes and the cliff like shore line. Another time was in a river so there was no sea state, to speak of. [San Jac river, it was interesting being able to "sail" with nothing more than my life jacket sticking up..] I have to say though, that on the gulf coast, especially in winter, 15-20kt winds are the norm. So if you coast downwind 10 miles here, you *will* get to either paddle or walk 10 miles back up into the wind. Paddling is funner. Richard Walker Houston, TX *************************************************************************** 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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