David Burch's Fundementals of Kayak Navigation appears to contain everything you ever wanted to know about kayak navigation, and then some. It's been a while since I looked at this book, but if wind spd can't be used per his methods I wouldn't bother with getting the meter. My recolection of his methods is that the important part of the method is the feedback you get when checking to see if you are on course. At that time you might determine, "the adjustment I made for wind change was not enough and I need to increase my ferry angle". The point when the wind changes and you decide to increase your ferry angle: that adjustment is not calculated with trigonometry and is just a guess, so I'd say going by feel (seat of the pants) is good enough. You'll find out latter if you were right or wrong (that's where you learn). And, I think you should learn to judge wind spd w/o a meter. Look at flags and feel the breeze, then listen to the news. Read a decription of flag movement relative to wind spd. I think they teach that in the military, or did in the Navy in WWII. Here's some excellent commentary on wind spd. Since you won't have a state or country flag on your boat this commentary is really better than the bluejacket manual descriptions I read as a boy. http://www.kites.org/jo/beaufort.html The goal is not to memorize anything but to begin to evalute on your own like this: Reading a book in a park the page turns occasionally with a soft motion (2.5-3.5mph); the page snaps over and you have to hold a hand on it (4-6mph); the page ruffles as you hold it 6-8mph; the page folds over your hand unless you hold the book just right 7-9mph; can't keep the damn book flat going inside 9+mph; can't get the box kite to stay up 10-13mph (they may be making them lighter now days); box kite can actually fly 14-17mph; damn batkite keeps breaking the string and fly across town 21+; winds pretty hard in your face 24-30; really whistling and whipping 30-38; really have to lean into this wind 38-44; walking between skyscraper downtown and the winds channeling so hard I'm leaning so far into it my ankles won't bend much more 44-62; better get to a basement all hells breaking loose and the sky is black 62mph+. It's better to just know than to refer to a meter. If you live in CA where it's calm, go outside when the Santa Ana's blow and then check the weather channel. Buy a gps that will allow you to get quicker feed back on the accuracy of your adjustment in ferry angle per a wind change, but I don't think you need an anomometer. 2cents. On Wed 05 Sep 2001, Rick Sylvia wrote: > Hey, folks. I need some advice. I'm having a hard time estimating wind > speeds (MPH, KNOTS, or BEAUFORT) for various uses in navigation. Therefore, > too help me get a handle on it, I'm thinking about buying a small > inexpensive anemometer. Cheapest I've found is roughly $50 (US). > > For the fun of it (and I'm cheap), I'm also considering making one, but the > instructions I've found on the internet are all too fragile or bulky to > carry on a kayak, and don't look very accurate, even after calibrating them. > > 1. Anybody use one and can comment on them (any and all aspects)? > 2. Anybody got a used one they want to sell? > 3. Anybody ever make one and can share the plans? > > Thanks. > > Rick - Poquoson, VA > > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed > here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire > responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. > Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net > Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** > -- Mike McNally mmcnally3_at_prodigy.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Here's an idea for a home made wind direction wind speed gauge for your kayak. See: http://cabdesigns.8k.com/card1.html Check out the triangular flag. I would want indication extending to 32mph as 20mph is pretty common, and a gauge that reads extrema too much is useless. So make the flag something like a 33in triangle as shown then cut off the tip at about 26in and this will make it harder for the wind to straighten. Cheap 6-1/2ft fish'n pole blank, homemade ferral and org nylon flag. Ok, a good fast action blank is expensive, but at least you'd now have an orange "don't run me over flag". Buying a 9ft blank, the end could serve as the ferral for the 6.5ft point along the blank (maybe, I don't know). I wouldn't waste the time, just learn to judge the wind. just an idea. -- Mike McNally mmcnally3_at_prodigy.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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