[Paddlewise] Stuff on deck

On Wed, 2 Jun 1999 07:47:01 +1000, Peter Osman <PeterO_at_ambri.com.au> wrote:

>G'Day 

>(Sorry for the repeat message I forgot the title yesterday),
>Doug, if the wide stable boat had been packed properly i.e no significant
>deck load, do you think the boat would have been as difficult to handle? Do
>you have any recommendations for users of such boats on open water
>crossings? I paddle both narrow fast boats as well as wide stable boats 
>training to take on long open water crossings, so am interested in these
>experiences. 

Peter,
I spoke with Matt Broze today who is doing the safety report for SK
Magazine on the failed crossing. He does not feel, given the wind direction
we encountered, that the deck load made that much of a difference. It was
more the paddler/boat. I still feel, that in a perfect world, deck loads
would not be used. I also feel that, as Matt does, the paddler's profile is
the biggest factor in windage, and as we can't do much about that, I'll
count my blessings that I am a bit on the short side (and the air is less
polluted for us shorties, too :-) ) A wide boat is a bit slower, but the
differences are usually minimal, though advertising campaigns try to slant
people toward the narrow kayak. However, when it comes to more extreme
paddling, those small differences can be magnified as the hours tick by on
the cold, angry sea where savage gusts take their toll. Of course, if you
can't handle the lack of stability and subsequent expenditure of nervous
energy of the narrow kayak, then maybe the wider kayak is better. Wider
kayaks, BTW, do not seem to promote good paddling skills as fast as narrow
ones, for obvious reasons.

My Nordkapp, with a full load, has almost no freeboard. The black seam line
is the water line. It is a wet ride for sure, and you need better gear on
your bod, and an excellent spray-deck. In two foot choppy seas, it is a
pain (the newer Jubilee is much better), but as seas build, the knifing bow
comes into its own. A low profile kayak like the Nordkapp (I use this boat
as an example, as that is what I paddle and is
representative of narrow kayaks, though new designs have some better
compromises) goes beyond issues of lower windage. Low profile/narrow kayaks
have a feel all their own (especially for those with size 12 feet!). They
respond to leaning and edging much more readily (usually) and the lack of
foredeck hitting your knuckles is truly redeeming. You feel much more at
one with the kayak. I would really like a much more stable kayak, one that
I can relax in, but every time I get in a bigger kayak, I feel like I'm
sinking into an abyss of glassfiber and gelcoat. This is highly subjective,
but the lower volume kayaks inspire confidence, performance, and an
aestetic appeal that ain't going to show up in no KAPER program or
hydrostatics specifications. My ex-girlfriend once said that "once you have
had black, you can never go back". Maybe size does matter, but for
kayaking, "once you have paddled it low, it is the only way to go".  

As far as handling kayaks for longer crossings - the fellows that did the
Bass Straight crossing a few years ago, found rudders beneficial over those
without them, and kites or sails even more beneficial over those without
them. Other than that, I hate commenting on things I do not know. I find
most people on this list do not BS. Perhaps those who paddle wider boats
(23" and above - what is a wider boat?) could answer your question. I will
say that the ultimate is the wider than a single, double kayak with two
strong paddlers. Now that is performance _and_ stability. Valley Canoe and
P&H have a couple of doubles that just fly. Ralph may argue that double
folders are faster as there is some "give" to them in waves, but I've seen
a fast "British Heavy" low-volume double in action on an angry sea. It was
pure perfection and inspiration.

Anyway, train in a wide, slow kayak, then do the real thing in a faster,
narrow one. Kind of like practicing with two baseball bats before you go up
to bat, then when using the one, it seems so light. Also, I can't prove
this due to differences in paddler stamina, but at the end of the day, when
all reasonable energy has been expanded and there are still a few miles to
go, I'm still trucking in my narrow yak while others have, at least
mentally, "packed it in". One other thing, new paddlers in their new narrow
kayaks in a following sea are an absolute liability on a trip. The bottom
line: crossing should be attempted only after careful planning,
preparation, and conditioning. Crossing should be done as fast as possible
to minimize exposure to changing conditions for the worse. A team
attempting a crossing is only as fast as the slowest person/boat combo.
This is a lesson I will never forget, and one that cost the taxpayers of
Canada about $8000.00 on our failed crossing in April. An expensive lesson,
and an unnecessary one, really. Happy water trails.       

BC'in Ya
Doug Lloyd

Doug Lloyd wrote:-

>As most of you regular subscribers know, I was one of the three rescued off
>the Storm Islands in the middle of Queen Charlotte Sound/Straight during
>our attempted off-season crossing in early April. The fellow who had the
>most difficulty, even prior to his rudder-slider breakage during the
>crossing, had a wide, stable boat full of gear and extra food. The boat
>weighed a ton. If that wasn't bad enough, he had a home-made paddlefloat on
>his rear deck. It was essentially a large foam cushion custom-covered in
>vinyl, about 15" x 8" x 20". Additionally, he had a *very* large duffle bag
>with more extraneous gear, also on the back deck of his already high volume
>touring kayak. The other fellow was paddling an Arluk 1.8 and I was in my
>low volume Nordkapp. There was no comparison between the two performance
>boats as compared to the higher-than-high windage problems being
>encountered by the paddler of the larger kayak with deck load. 

------------------------------

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************