Re: [Paddlewise] Paul Caffyn and rudders (long)

Matt Broze wrote:

> I just wish folks would grope around the elephant a little more before
> making sweeping generalizations about it as though it is proven fact. You
> may find that with a little more paddling time You would like the Caribou 
> too but you have skill with a rudder and an Express and may have to learn 
> some new skills to control a Caribou. 

I certainly agree. The Caribou is very responsive, and very easy to
control (if you have the right skill set). The Caribou is a fun boat for
proactive paddlers, or at least for this proactive paddler. I replace
boats and gear frequently, but I have stuck with my Caribou for the past
4 years, which is a record for me (other than an old solo canoe that I
have had for years and still use for wilderness river trips). 

Matt also wrote:

> I have never tried surfing the Caribou but
> liked it a lot (except the strong weatherhelm--which I suspect is why it is
> available with a drop skeg now--that is what I thought it needed--and the
> drop skeg should improve following sea performance too if used to best
> effect by balancing the need for some manueverability with keeping the stern
> from skidding sideways down the wave). I'm surprised by your experience with
> the Caribou in following seas. Usually hard chine boats that respond well to
> a lean turn like the Caribou does do well there. Maybe its that old
> proactive/reactive preference of yours, or maybe I should try it out for
> myself in following seas (or at least a steep boatwake) instead of believing
> the ravings and first impressions of blind men.

One of the things I like best about the Caribou is its performance in
following seas. My favorite type of padddling is to surf wind waves. The
Caribou is very well suited to this--it accelerates quickly and is very
easy to control on the wave. I also like its performance in stern
quartering seas, where it has less of a tendency to yaw (or "wobble")
than most kayaks. 

As for its tendency to weatherhelm, I have found a couple of ways to
minimize this (other than with a drop-down skeg) one of which I
discovered by accident. First, as has been frequently mentioned,
shifting some weight to the stern makes a big difference. (This works
better with Caribou than with most kayaks for some reason.) I no longer
shift much weight to the stern, however, as the result of my
"accidental" discovery. I became concerned that I was getting too much
abrasion along the stern keel (from dragging the boat, and from
launchings) and so about a year ago I added a sacrificial strip of
Marine-Tex (fiber-impregnated epoxy paste) along the last several feet
of the keel. I did not expect any noticable effect on handling, because
it is not very deep (it starts very thin, tapers to a maximum depth of
perhaps 1/2 inch, and then tapers smoothly back to the original keel). I
was surprised (and at first dismayed) by the effect that such a small
keel modification had on the handling. I was going to grind most of it
off, but I decided to try shifting some weight forward (or rather,
shifting less weight to the stern than had become my custom), and this
worked to restore the boat's handling (making it relatively easy once
again to turn into a strong wind). The strip has started to wear away,
but I think I may refurbish it. Of course a drop-down skeg adds greater
flexibility, but I like to avoid mechanical devices on kayaks due to the
risk of failure. The only adjustable mechanism whose robustness I trust
is the sliding seat. I am surprised that more manufacturers do not
incorporate sliding seats into their designs.

Dan Hagen
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