Wes Boyd wrote: > > We had a discussion on Paddlewise here a while back about loading a boat > slightly heavier in one end or the other to help control in fore or aft > seas, but I wasn't paying a lot of attention and can't find it, now. > > Just thinking about it, I would think that you would want to be loaded > slightly heavier than normal toward the forward end if you anticipate > heading into wind or waves, and slightly heavier aft if you anticipate > following winds or seas. > > Did I get that right, or have I got it backwards? That is basically right from my understanding and own experience although a good argument could be made for keeping the front and rear load in balance. One never knows when conditions can change; for example wind direction; this could mean that within an hour you might see a shift from a following wind/sea to a head-on wind/sea. The sliding seat on some kayaks could help quickly re-set trim a bit. Generally, I like to load as much as I can in the middle of the boat, which is a neutral trim place. That is more possible in wider hardshells and folding kayaks than in narrow ones. And, within the folding kayak family, some brands and models are better suited than others. For example, a single Klepper has plenty of room around you to place items. You have room along both hips for special cockpit bags (sold by Long Haul Products) that can hold things you need while underway; and alongside your legs you can put even larger bags holding heavy gear. The folding kayak's frame provides plenty of places to tie-in these and other bags. You would not have quite as much room in a K-Light but you still could squeeze in some things around you and tie them off to the gunwale and chine bars. Also for neutral trim, consider putting some of your water in the cockpit with you. There is plenty of room for gallons and gallons of the stuff right under your knees, assuming you are paddling with your knees bent and well braced in your boat. It would be best however to be able to tie those water bags down so they don't shift. Again, a folding kayak gives you some frame bars to which to attach webbing to hold such cargo in place. Or if in a fiberglass hardshell you could glass in D-rings there and in other spots inside the cockpit area. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Sep 02 1999 - 05:52:18 PDT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:12 PDT