When a rower "catches a crab" this usually means he has failed to feather his single oar (sweep) blade before the handle reaches his body. In a shell moving at speed, this results in the handle being jammed against his body by the pressure of the water on his blade, necessitating that the rower lie down to recover. Merely skimming the water on a recovery is quite common and -- in rough water -- often necessary. Catching a crab in a sculled craft (two oars per rower) is unusual because the oar handles usually can clear the torso with the seat fully forward. Ken Cooperstein *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
The boat was a Sea Saber, at one time the fastest human powered single. I wasn't using it much and it was taking up space in my basement so I sold it. Wish I hadn't. It weighed 50 pounds, was 21' long, 11" wide and sported a long thin outrigger 8' out to one side for stability. Bicycle pedals and crank operated from a recumbent seat turned an 18" screw propeller. I once witnessed a Sea Saber beat two top oarsmen in a double racing scull by over a dozen lengths at the end of a 1000 meter race on calm water. In rougher water where rowing craft have difficulty returning their oars for another stroke without snagging them on a wave (known as "catching a crab"), the Sea Saber had a much bigger advantage. A Sea Saber beat all of the several hundred other craft in each of the three years it competed in Seattle's Cross Sound Race (for human powered watercraft). The pedaler on the Sea Saber faced forward like a canoe or kayak paddler. The main disadvantage of the Sea Saber (beside the fact that it is no longer made) is the propeller. It required water at least two feet deep (and a lot deeper if you wanted to operate it at speed and not risk breaking the prop). Another disadvantage of the prop was that it fouled in weeds that were floating or growing near the surface. A solo peddler had to dismount (into the water) in order to clear a fouled propeller. Because the Sea Saber lacked oars or paddles, and its propulsion all came from the one propeller near the stern, very little control was possible without forward speed to operate the rudder. This made maneuvering in tight places and holding position, such as when waiting for the start of a race, very difficult. Landing or embarking from a dock was easy, but beaches required wading in thigh deep water. The pontoon like hull of the Sea Saber (or of a narrow racing scull) makes gear storage room Spartan at best and as a result they are best suited to racing and exercise rather than touring. The only human powered watercraft faster than a Sea Saber (that I'm aware of) are hydrofoil craft, such as the Flying Fish. They are very fast if pedaled hard enough to keep them flying on their foils. The Flying Fish is like a bicycle mounted above a long thin wing-like foil for lift with a smaller canard wing out front to control pitch (sort of an underwater high aspect version of the Wright brother's earliest airplanes). At first it was launched down a ramp to get it up to "flying" speed (more shades of the Wright brothers). Later it was mounted with two pontoons to allow water starts, landings, and slow speed operation without sinking. Its top speed with one person were nearly as fast as the fastest eight oared shells. Those interested in this sort of thing should check out http://www.trampofoil.se/ and http://www.ihpva.org/ -----Original Message----- From: E. Sullivan <sullivaned_at_pop.mts.kpnw.org> To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net>; mkayaks_at_oz.net <mkayaks_at_oz.net> Date: Thursday, June 03, 1999 8:18 AM Subject: Re: PaddleWise V1 #562 >Of course you yourself would have trouble keeping up with Greg Barton in his >kayak as well (and I used to own a pedal boat that could stomp double sculls >by a dozen boat lenghts in a 1000 meter race) 'Used to'? I don't think I would care to part with a such a boat. Tell me more. That Hobie thang? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
-----Original Message----- From: Kenneth Cooperstein <cprstnc1_at_optonline.net> To: paddlewise, paddlewise <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: Saturday, June 05, 1999 3:59 AM Subject: [Paddlewise] PaddleWise V1 #562 >When a rower "catches a crab" this usually means he has failed to >feather his single oar (sweep) blade before the handle reaches his >body. In a shell moving at speed, this results in the handle being >jammed against his body by the pressure of the water on his blade, >necessitating that the rower lie down to recover. Merely skimming the >water on a recovery is quite common and -- in rough water -- often >necessary. Catching a crab in a sculled craft (two oars per rower) is >unusual because the oar handles usually can clear the torso with the >seat fully forward. >>Ken Cooperstein > The problem that the rowers in racing sculls in the Round Shaw Row were having was that due to the low placement of the oarlocks they were not able to even skim the top of the steep short waves because that would force the hand grips end of the oars down into the hull. It had nothing to do with not feathering. Rowing boats with a lot higher seating position did not have this problem. Matt Broze > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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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