Re: [Paddlewise] Turning into the wind

A number of suggestions have been posted re Greg Hollingsworth's original
question.  Here's my input:

1.  Some mentioned turning on the tops of waves.  This is most effective on
peaked chop, but can be thwarted by higher winds.  In some boats, I have
experienced fair success by sweeping as the boat approaches the wave top, then
edging the boat on the side opposite the sweep as the bow drops down the
opposite side of the wave.  This is a lean opposite to a normal edged turn,
like edging across an eddy line, leaning into the center of the turn.  Its
like skiing moguls, where you just crank your knees into the turn as your skis
drop over the tops.  Like I said, this has worked for me in some, but not all
boats and conditions, and I have never figured out what dynamics made it work.
Any thoughts on this?

2.  Nobody mentioned the old sailors trick of turning 270 when you can't
effectively turn into or through the wind.  Can't make it go right?  Turn left
(the wrong way) and come all the way around until you are on the desired
course.

3.  Try turning the bow instead of the stern.  Doug Lloyd said that the
Modified-Hull Nordkapp (the one with the deep fixed-skeg hull shape) can be a
death trap in high winds.  When I paddled that boat, the ONLY way I could turn
it without an Act of Congress, 200 meters sea room and way more time than I
ever had between waves, was to get it up to speed and use a bow-rudder, bow-
draw combination.  The bow end was loose enough to turn, while the stern was
way too stiff.  Usually, only whitewater kayakers know how to do bow-control
strokes in this neck of the woods, but they work well on sea kayaks and are a
great tool to have at hand.

4.  If your boat has an adjustable skeg, this is the reason it is there.  If a
skegged boat pulls downwind, raise the skeg a little bit at a time until the
boat handling is balanced.  If a skegged boat pulls or turns upwind, lower the
skeg a little bit at a time until the boat handling is balanced.  The secret
is to not make gross adjustments.

FWIW,

Harold
So. Cal.
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