I have had some very exhilarating experiences kayaking with kites and have come to value the parafoil as a delightful (but rarely useful) tool for covering distance. I've used a 15 sq ft parafoil with a single line to pull tandem and single kayaks. As a quick release mechanism I'd rigged a Velcro strap to connect the kite line to the bunched together foredeck bungies. The point of tug being close to the cockpit allowed me to even head off the wind a few degrees. To be pulled in a tandem (Aleut Sea 2) was a wonderful experience. Arthur Hebert and I effortlessly covered over 65 miles one short winter day along the Louisiana coast. While he ruddered with his paddle (we'd broken the kayak's wooden rudder in a surf landing the night before) I scanned the marsh for birds, read, fixed lunch and kicked back enjoying the ride. In Summer, '87 I'd launched the kite from a Nimbus Puffin to hasten a 13 mile crossing from Chandeleur Island north to Ship Island one evening at dusk. I'd heard from NOAA that there was a 20 25 knot north wind expected in my area that night and for the next few days against which I didn't expect to be able to make the crossing. Because I had to get back to work soon and because there was a 20 -25 knot south wind blowing at the time I decided to take advantage of it and make the crossing that night. All went well with the kite pulling me quite briskly north until a few miles out I could see by the failing light that I was being pulled straight into a rainstorm. There was no obvious lightning, the water temp was in the 90's, VHF and EPIRB were on board, a paddling knife was at hand and I decided to see what would happen. Just as the first scattered drops began to fall the wind shifted 180 degrees in an instant and I found myself being pulled backwards bearing due south at great speed toward the island I'd just left. Rather that release the kite I decided to try to turn the boat 180 and permit the wind to pull me back to the Chandeleurs where I could regroup my thoughts and figure out what to do next. What I found to my great relief was that the kayak was perfectly stable broached to the wind and waves, pulled sideways and upwards by the kite line which attached at the midline of the foredeck. Further experimentation with that big kite has convinced me that it is not easy to flip with the kite so rigged even when broached because the kite's upward pull strongly resists a flip. Even in an Arluck 1 which has almost no initial stability ( and which flies like the wind behind such a kite) I've felt amazingly stable. I don't deny that there are potential dangers such as separation from the boat and unexpected downwind obstructions but the fear of flipping and entanglement are not as great (in my limited experience with a single kite and attachment device) as one might expect. You do have a tiger by the tail but as long as the wind is steady it seems to be a stable predictable tiger that can give a thrilling and stabilizing free ride. Larry Koenig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
....my dear Lawrence. The problem with riding a tiger is that you may go fast and far but you dare not dismount. Larry Koenig wrote: > I have had some very exhilarating experiences kayaking with kites and have > come to value the parafoil as a delightful (but rarely useful) tool for > covering distance. I've used a 15 sq ft parafoil with a single line to pull > tandem and single kayaks. As a quick release mechanism I'd rigged a Velcro > strap to connect the kite line to the bunched together foredeck bungies. The > point of tug being close to the cockpit allowed me to even head off the wind a > few degrees. > > To be pulled in a tandem (Aleut Sea 2) was a wonderful experience. Arthur > Hebert and I effortlessly covered over 65 miles one short winter day along the > Louisiana coast. While he ruddered with his paddle (we'd broken the kayak's > wooden rudder in a surf landing the night before) I scanned the marsh for > birds, read, fixed lunch and kicked back enjoying the ride. > > In Summer, '87 I'd launched the kite from a Nimbus Puffin to hasten a 13 mile > crossing from Chandeleur Island north to Ship Island one evening at dusk. I'd > heard from NOAA that there was a 20 25 knot north wind expected in my area > that night and for the next few days against which I didn't expect to be able > to make the crossing. Because I had to get back to work soon and because > there was a 20 -25 knot south wind blowing at the time I decided to take > advantage of it and make the crossing that night. All went well with the kite > pulling me quite briskly north until a few miles out I could see by the > failing light that I was being pulled straight into a rainstorm. There was no > obvious lightning, the water temp was in the 90's, VHF and EPIRB were on > board, a paddling knife was at hand and I decided to see what would happen. > Just as the first scattered drops began to fall the wind shifted 180 degrees > in an instant and I found myself being pulled backwards bearing due south at > great speed toward the island I'd just left. Rather that release the kite I > decided to try to turn the boat 180 and permit the wind to pull me back to the > Chandeleurs where I could regroup my thoughts and figure out what to do next. > What I found to my great relief was that the kayak was perfectly stable > broached to the wind and waves, pulled sideways and upwards by the kite line > which attached at the midline of the foredeck. > > Further experimentation with that big kite has convinced me that it is not > easy to flip with the kite so rigged even when broached because the kite's > upward pull strongly resists a flip. Even in an Arluck 1 which has almost no > initial stability ( and which flies like the wind behind such a kite) I've > felt amazingly stable. > > I don't deny that there are potential dangers such as separation from the boat > and unexpected downwind obstructions but the fear of flipping and > entanglement are not as great (in my limited experience with a single kite and > attachment device) as one might expect. You do have a tiger by the tail but as > long as the wind is steady it seems to be a stable predictable tiger that can > give a thrilling and stabilizing free ride. > > Larry Koenig > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Larry Koenig wrote; >To be pulled in a tandem (Aleut Sea 2) was a wonderful experience. Arthur >Hebert and I effortlessly covered over 65 miles one short winter day along the >Louisiana coast. While he ruddered with his paddle (we'd broken the kayak's >wooden rudder in a surf landing the night before) I scanned the marsh for >birds, read, fixed lunch and kicked back enjoying the ride. OK Larry so you finally admit I had to do all the work that day, it's bout time you admit the truth after years of denial. The way I remember you telling people is that you worked very hard keeping the kite in the air. I personally never thought the checking of kite string tension was work. I will have to keep a copy of your true version you sent to paddlewise to give to a few people, got ya. I guess Larry is a true gentleman when he said "we'd broken the rudder" actually that was my fault for forgetting to lift it before beaching. Could blame it on the large surf and darkness but I won't, I simply forgot to lift the rudder. The day Larry described was awesome we were in five to seven foot sea swells. We were being pulled by the wind on the worlds longest roller coaster. Arthur Hebert *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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