Re: [Paddlewise] Changing feathers

>"My first two years of paddling was with a unfeathered paddle.  It was no
>individual or instruction that changed how I paddled it was the conditions
>on a solo five day trip that changed my mind.  To each his own and I firmly
>believe that."


Peter T. wrote;
>Arthur, what were these conditions? Can I guess constant headwinds?


Back in 1994 Larry Koenig and I were paddling the entire Louisiana coast
hopping along the barrier islands.  We accomplished this in legs of between
100 and 120 miles.  On one particular leg (the Marsh Island area) our
schedules did not match up with time from work.  So we decided we would do a
110 miles stretch seperatly and solo passing the Marsh Island area of the
coast.
I spent the night at Larry house the day before departure with him providing
a ride to the put in.  We listened to the weather radio which suggested 32-
38 knot head winds.   I had a choice of going either direction (head winds
or tail winds).  I just had to see my limits in those conditions with head
winds.
Marsh Island is just as it sounds, MUD and Marsh along its shore line.  The
first day out was not to bad 24 to 30 knot winds out of the west as I headed
on a southwest course.  (I must add that I spent the night on a double
rigger shrimp boat.  Ate great that night and enough boiled shrimp left over
to last me two days).
  Things got pretty breezy on the secound day as I reached Marsh Island.
Heading west dead into 34 plus knot head winds.   Nine hours of countious
HARD paddling I only covered seven miles.   I stopped paddling once and lost
gound extremely fast.  Each foot was to hard to attain to stop paddling.
There was no stopping on Marsh Island due to the oyster shell reef that line
the shore in very shallow waters that reached out one mile into the Gulf of
Mexico.  After about five hours of the vicous wind pushing against my
unfeathered paddle I switched to feathered and never looked back.  I could
babble on about this trip but I'll stop now and say, ya right Peter it was
the WIND.  I must also note that I look forward to paddling into the wind it
adds a completely new dimension to paddling.
Arthur Hebert
Gretna, Louisiana  (other side da river from the Cresent City)


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