RE: [Paddlewise] Bad forward sweep

Hi Peter,

- My boat tracks very straight even when edged if
  I am not using some kind of turning stroke

	It is not uncommon for a boat to require a sweep stroke to initiate a turn
before edging will have any effect. SO it's OK and normal to need to perform
a sweep stroke to get your boat to turn.

- The most I can edge this boat, which is usually
  carrying some load in the rear hatch, is to get
  the coaming to the level of the water line. I
  can't edge the boat to get the coaming below the
  water line without leaning as well. If I increase
  the thickness of knee pads my feet go to sleep
  although I'm still modifying along the lines
  suggested in earlier posts.

	To a lesser or greater extent all edging is leaning. We edge our boats by
moving our center of gravity to one side or the other. The boat reacts by
listing, lowering the edge beneath the center of gravity. Move your torso to
the left the boat edges on the left. People describe this as lifting the
opposite knee, but that happens after you move your CG (Center of
Gravity)and is really a way to keep from falling over.

	The boat does not know or care if your torso is vertical or leaning at an
angle. It only cares about where your CG is relative to the boats center of
bouyancy and the degree of heel (edging).

- If the boat is leaned it will almost turn on a dime

	If you need to lean to get your boat edged enough to turn quickly, then
have at it. Lot's of shorter paddlers do the same thing as do paddlers in
relatively wide boats.

-From what is being said on Paddlewise I think my real problem is not
leaning
enough with a good enough support component in the stroke so information on
blade angle and body lean and their variation as the paddle passes through
the water would be particularly welcome.

	I heard things a bit differently. Steve Scherrer taked about moving the
stern rather than the bow. I'll let him go into it in greater detail but I
agree completely with his explaination. I will say just this, to turn the
boat while moving forward one must move the stern, not the bow. To try and
move the bow is a waste of time.

	I would consider two things; firstly seakayaks are designed to run straight
when on an even keel. So to turn you need to edge the boat. A little edging
is good, more edging is better. This will lift the fine ends out of the
water, shortening the waterline and present a much more manouverable (sp)
hull form to the water.

	What ever support is gained from your paddle is done at the expense of
turning or propulsion. If you use your paddle for support during a sweep
then you are not getting the most turning force out of that sweep. Many
paddlers set their paddle for some support during a sweep but it's most
effective to keep the paddle vertical to the path and apply support only as
needed by rotating the paddle blade.

-I'ld be very interested in what degrees of turn with a forward sweep are
achievable if anyone happens to have assessed this.

	After I initiate my turn with a sweep stroke on the opposite side, I can
ride the carved turn for 90 degrees or so. This works going forward or in
reverse.

Good Luck,
Jed


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