Re: [Paddlewise] A Can of Worms

Patrick Maun wrote:
> 
> I find it a bit odd that we are
> characterizing boats as "tippy". What happened to primary and
> secondary stability?

I'll take responsibility for that.  Having been new to the sport
eight?nine years ago, as Josh is now, primary and secondary stability
were mere words attached to foggy notions.  I was trying to strip the
excess terminology and technical reasoning to better get an 
(incomplete) idea across.  If it worked, I'm satisfied.  He'll learn the
jargon and all the technical explanations soon enough monitoring this
list.  No need to send him off into a fog bank, eh?

> By far, the most popular British boat in these
> parts is the Romany 18'. While I can see people wanting to
> characterize this boat as tippy, it really is pretty stable. Sure,
> that primary stability makes it easy to edge but the secondary makes
> it really to hold it there. It is anything but tippy.

I concur, but to Josh, it is apparently lacking of "comfortable" initial
stability that he would post what he did.  Do you think you would have
felt the Romany to be rock solid the very first time you settled into a
human powered craft narrower than a rowboat?  I'll be honest by saying
that I thought my Necky Skeena (under 17'Lx24"B) was tippy (plenty of
initial stability, considerably lower secondary).  Didn't last long,
though.  By the time I sold it, I could paddle it from a standing
position.
These days, most anything over 21" beam is boringly stable, even in
conditions.
Give me a 18~19" beam prototype racing boat (clean - no skeg, no rudder)
and I'll top its hull speed surfing the steep bay chop around here -
wave hopping.  But that's just me and my idea of fun. Not necessarily
anyone else's...

> Meanwhile, the
> Solstice GTS I paddle is very tippy if you consider only its
> secondary stability. It doesn't go over on edge as willingly as many
> boats, but once it does you need to really hold it there or over you
> go.
> 
> As for British boats tracking better. Good god, is there a boat that
> tracks better than the GTS sans rudder/skeg?

Not too many.  I consider paddling my friend's Solstice akin to driving
a bus, but a fairly fast bus. :-)

Vince
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