"With a rudder, it is easier to keep on the proper heading more steadily and accurately, which improves navigation." I don't agree. I can keep to a compass course as easily, or more easily, paddling without a rudder. I find a paddle rhythm that harmonises with the sea state and the shape of the seas becomes a part of the course-keeping. You have to do the same thing with a rudder or you end up swerving around. I find that with or without the rudder you need a really harmonious go -with-the-flow kind of stroke to hold a steady course in rough water. For me this harmonious paddle rhythm comes more easily with no rudder. I have used rudders on boats that needed them, I use a rudder on my sailing canoe, my old klepper tandem was easier to paddle with the rudder in the water (you couldn't raise it anyway). I have navigated in dense fog by compass and I have covered many miles using rudders but now that I have a boat that paddles well without a rudder I find that all aspects of my paddling have improved, and I'm enjoying paddling more. Some boats I have paddled need a rudder for course keeping, others do not. Today I was out paddling my Mariner Express on Puget sound. The wind was a steady 21 knots, gusting to 23, according to the recording anemometer at West point. The wind was SSE, so the fetch at Shilshole was a bit less than usual in a southerly, which made for short steep waves moving at a good clip (with the tide). I spent some time practicing quick turns up into the wind and, following Matt's advice, I tried edging the boat an extra few degrees as I leaned on the sweep stroke. The boat came up into the wind MUCH more quickly with just a little more edging. The effect was startling. In making 180 degree turns I found that as the boat came around parrallel to the short steep waves (discouraging me from tiping the boat too dramatically down wave) I could keep the turn moving by really bouncing the edge down extra far while getting support from the sweep stroke. I think if I add small foam pads on the (upper) sides of the hull a few inches aft of my knees I will get an even more positive grip on the boat with my legs, and this might help me push this more extreme edging even farther. Nick Lyle *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Sep 05 1999 - 23:11:43 PDT
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