RE: [Paddlewise] Ursa 350

> Thanks Robert for photos of this interesting-looking boat. How does it
> paddle in various conditions? How does it handle wind with the high front
> and back decks?


I am making modifications on the boat at least in my mind. I may make an
"improved" version.

Most of the changes that I want to make have to do with the detailing on the
deck (hatches cockpit rims etc)
 
The boat feels a little more tender than I would like in calm water. I will
probably make the next version one or two centimeters wider. Short boats
have to be wider for equivalent stability and I pushed this a little more
than I would have wanted for my purposes. While I am paddling, I am
perfectly comfortable but I have problems with photography and other hands
off the paddle activities. In calm water I would consider it on a par with
my Mariner (original model) in terms of its feeling of tenderness.

I have taken the boat out in quite rough water/high winds on Puget Sound and
inland Canadian waters. It performs well. Many people look at it and assume
that it will have trouble with wind. I have not found this to be the case.
Indeed, I am happier in this boat under these conditions than I am in my
other boats. With the high bow and the short boat, you essentially do not
have to worry about burying the bow which I perceive to be one of the most
dangerous events of paddling in rough water (when going downwind -- when
going upwind you just get wet). A short boat is easier to surf on the sort
of chop that forms in inland waters such as Puget Sound in strong winds than
is a longer kayak. The wave crests are often not far enough apart to be
optimal for a conventional length kayak.

There are VERY few days that I would be reluctant to paddle in Puget Sound
with this boat. For me, the limiting factor is that if the wind is too
strong I just cannot make that much progress against it and have to go
parallel to the wind or downwind. On heavy wind days, I prefer one way trips
:)

When you paddle directly into the wind, most of the wind resistance comes
from you. The rear hump is completely sheltered by your body. You could even
make an argument that "like a race car" it causes less "turbulence" to have
the hump behind you. That is, if you enjoy these abstract arguments that are
easier to assert than prove.

When you paddle at angles to the wind the boat seems reasonably balanced.
You have to remember that this boat is very short so there is not nearly the
lever arm that you would have in a conventional kayak. The decks ARE high at
the bow and stern but there is not nearly as "much" bow and stern as there
is in a conventional boat.  It is lower in the middle than many boats. It is
easy for me to change directions etc under the conditions that I have
paddled. I do not "feel" the wind gripping the boat or tipping it or
whatever.

What about williwaws such as those in the Straits of Magellan? Well, I
haven't tried the boat there. What about willy-willy's in Australia. Well, I
haven't tried the boat there either. I need more experience :)

On extensive trips in conventional kayaks I have, at times, carried gear on
the rear deck. Sometimes quite a bit. I see pictures of others doing the
same. I find it sort of surprising that I have not really been bothered by
this stuff back there. I tend to forget about it. In my early days of
designing boats this fact made me pretty relaxed about putting in rear
humps. It is a lot more streamlined underneath the hump than piled on the
deck. When I designed the Ursa 350, I was interested in really pushing a
variety of things to extremes. Now that I have paddled it, I do not perceive
that I "went too far".

I have only paddled the Ursa 350 once in the ocean surf. I did one small
paddle off the Oregon coast, and it did well. But I need more experience
here. My problem is that I am getting too old to get tremendous enjoyment
being thrashed around in the surf in any boat and more to the point I have
gotten too fat for my dry suit. I have more experience with a predecessor of
this boat (Ursa 400) which is not as extreme but shares many characteristics
and which is a very capable boat in the surf.

I may wander down to the LaPush pummel to see if anyone would be willing to
try the boat out so I can get feedback. Frankly I personally am no longer in
good enough shape to feel comfortable in the ocean surf at LaPush in the
winter unless it is calmer than average.

I need to find some lunatic (like Doug Lloyd ;)  )  who would be interested
in trying a novel design in more extreme conditions than I am willing to
entertain. The boats that I have built are not extreme "rock" basher types.
I would need a couple more layers of Kevlar for that :)

It is fun to talk about boats and theorize but the proof is on the water.
People perceive the same boat differently. I would welcome paddling with
anyone from Paddlewise interested in rough water in Puget Sound. I live in
Federal Way, WA on the water. When I am not working, which is alas often, I
am happy to paddle. If you want to try paddling an unusual sea kayak in
rough water I have some extra boats and am often game to go off on a 1-2
hour paddle. I am interested in feedback and do not mind, in the least,
critical comments. Informed feedback comes from experience and is more
interesting than armchair criticism, although I enjoy that as well.





------ End of Forwarded Message

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************