Re: [Paddlewise] Bad forward sweep

I was always taught that a boat turned around it's center of flotation, which is
somewhere around your rear end!  You can't turn a boat without turning both ends.

John Blackburn

Jed wrote:

> 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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