Re: [Paddlewise] how do you do that, rudderless?

At 03:10 PM 9/26/01 -0500, James Tibensky wrote:
>kcd said:
>
>hi all,
>
>ok, to "edge" in (ha ha) on the rudder/rudderless debate, i'll ask you
>experienced paddlers a "how-to" question. etc...
>
>I say:
>
>I'm sure you'll get this answer from a lot of people, but I'll go ahead 
>anyway.  Beamy boats are impossible to edge.  The very thing that makes you 
>stable in dead water, the wide and flat bottom, gives you no ability to tilt 
>the boat on edge.  True responsiveness only comes with a sportier boat.
>
>Picture the wide, flat bottom on the water with the surface of the water 
>flat to the horizon.  Now tilt that water 45 degrees, as on a wave.  The 
>flat bottom is now tipped 45 degrees as well and nothing you do will change 
>that.  The wide bottom does what the water does, it cannot do otherwise.  
>When the wave curls past 180 degrees, your face is in the water.  If you 
>have a rounder, narrower hull, your hips will tilt to compensate and you 
>will be breathing air instead of water.
>
>As your skills increase, as they will as you practice [you WILL practice, 
>won't you?], you will graduate to a more responsive boat.  And some day 
>you'll be amazed you ever liked that friendly-in-flat-water-only Queen Mary 
>hull.

I more or less agree with the second paragraph, but, come on, some of your
statements are a bit absolute.

"Beamy boats are impossible to edge. "
" The flat bottom is now tipped 45 degrees as well and nothing you do will
change 
that."

Have you ever paddled a Carolina?  I have and, while it doesn't have the
secondary stability of a my hard chined Northbay, nor is as sporty as a
17'6" long, 22" wide boat, it's not exactly like paddling a john boat
either.   I certainly wouldn't categorize a Carolina as "sporty" but it
definitely can be edged and responds fairly well to a stern rudder.  A few
weeks ago I took out a boat that makes the Carolina feel like a Looksha II.
 The Prijon Capria is 2 1/2 feet shorter and 3 1/2" wider, and not only
could it be edged fairly easily, it wasn't difficult to roll either.

So take heart, timbre,  your Carolina's can handle those following waves
with a bit of practice.  As Dave Kruger suggested, a stern rudder will
allow you to steer your boat and start surfing some of those following
waves.   You can practice the stern rudder stroke on flat water as well.
Just start paddling forward, set your paddle so that it is parallel with
the hull with the blade toward the stern vertical and then try turning the
boat in  both directions by slightly changing the angle of the blade.
Practice on both sides until you can turn the boat in either direction from
both sides.  The primary drawback of the Carolina is that you often won't
have enough boat speed to catch some of the waves.  



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