I wasn't able to attend the entire weekend, but did manage the slide show Saturday night after a bit of a drive up and then back after; then went back up for Sunday afternoon. The weekend generally lacked high numbers, but you kind of have to expect that this time of year and in a small town. Saturday night saw a small gathering of enthusiastic but less technically oriented paddlers taking in the fine presentation by Nigel Foster covering paddling destinations on the west coast of Scotland. It was well worth the drive to see the irrefutably magnificent shots of kayaks plying in and out of the multifaceted caves of the Shetland Islands; the austere beauty of the Isle of Mull dripping with the dew of history; and the fear-inducing pics of paddlers challenging the oceanic overfalls generated between the almost unnavigable Fareoe Islands. The only thing that wasn't wetted-out was Nigel's dry humour. I had a nice talk with him for a good hour after. Wendell Phillips who I hadn't scene for a while was in fine form dispensing Greenlandic Inuit qajaq technology information via an incredibly colorful slide presentation. Lots of iceberg shots helped cool us down in the hot agricultural hall. Wendell is a former photojournalist -- spiritually connected it would seem to the north now -- and along with intelligent, gifted men like Harvey Golden, should add immeasurably to the baseline of information being stockpiled and hopefully disseminated while there are still surviving examples of Inuit technology left to survey. We chatted the night away with some other yakkers. Sunday was a little windy, which made for lots of novice spills in the demo on-water area. Nigel's presentation was underutilized, considering his international resume, but that's okay: with Seaward now producing his signature kayak's, Nigel should be returning to the island many times more I would hazard. Those of us gathered along the shore wadded out into the 1-foot chop to watch attentively as Nigel demonstrated his well-known repertoire of edging, leaning, slid-slipping and bow-ruddering maneuvers using the underlying principle that the kayak is less encumbered by high pressure along the stern half when the kayak is under sufficient movement generation, enabling the stern to kick-out more readily than when static-induced turns are attempted. it took some time before folks caught on to what he meant. But the actual on-water demonstration spoke volumes over the shyly spoken words muted by the wind and waves. I spent over an hour in the Legend, Nigel's trademark boat that he uses for most of his demos. I was impressed by the volume of this kayak and yet, its easy maneuverability and speed. I think it may be faster than the Romany's. I really think this kayak has almost everything for the attentive paddler who utilizes a proactive paddling style. I didn't like the high rear coming astern, preventing lay-back rolls, and unfortunately, I couldn't get my thighs into the Sillouette -- a much more Inuit-influenced design. I also unfortunately, didn't shorten the foot rests, so paid for it big-time that night, actually resorting to tensor bandages down both legs at three in the morning that night. The narrow Echo was not my cup of tea. The Rumour was a gas. A real contender against, say, a VCP Pintail. I could well imagine myself running down the face of a big Pacific wave, back of head on the rear deck, watching the rear toggle shoot up spray as it trailed behind. Rolling it was more like cheating, as lay-back rolls and a tight fit made it just too easy. As usual, I was last out of the water, Nigel patiently waiting for his personal Rumor back. I tried the latest generation Hennessy tent-hammock. I really liked the thing. Its on my short list for new gear. All in all, not a bad little event. And it was all free. Well, gotta run. There's wet geareverywhere. One day, I'm gonna go kayaking and not get wet. Had a great night tonight out off Sooke in Juan de Fuca Strait after dinner. It was forecast to hit 40 knots, but was only about 30 where I was. Still, its was my first venture out into my old stomping grounds and I found some great waves, swam around for awhile practicing reentiries with my Sea Seat, and even pulled of some deep-water rolls in the waves away from the security of shore. Paddle on dudes and dudetts. DL (excuse the spelling errors tonight) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Doug, I read with interest your Baffin Island Incident article in the July SK. As a Solstice GTS paddler I noted that all 4 of the paddlers were in Solstices, although you did not mention the model. But the point that interested me was that a proximate cause of the fatalies was the difficulty turning into the wind. I find the GTS superb in windy conditions but it does take some strength and technique to turn it. For example, In 15 kts my inexperienced sister-in-law was unable to turn it up wind at all. You also made the correct point about the rudder hindering this change of direction. In winds greater than 20 kts I generally raise the rudder if I want to do a 90 deg turn. Once there course is easy to hold with or without the rudder, even in those winds. The rudder is basically an energy saving device on long straight runs. But from a safety point of view it is imperative that a paddler be able to control the boats direction in any expected wind. Therefore a Solstice GTS would be a dangerous boat to have for a moderate strength woman weighing less than say 130 lbs. I don't think that the suitability match of boat to person is sufficiently emphasized in safety discussions. Jerry *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I agree with your point about suitability of the boat-match combination. The point was somewhat muted in my article purposely, given that the paddlers were expecting to have the use of doubles, with the men providing the propulsive effort, etc. But you do raise an interesting problem, especially with respect to kayak reservations typical for paddlers traveling to the launch area where the kayaks are to be rented, where the kayaks have not been given proper consideration as far as size and fit, etc. The ladies in the story were fairly petite, especially Marilynn. Any other comments would be appreciated. May I have your permission to send your comments to Richard Proctor, former Paddlewiser who alerted me to this story? He is good friends with the survivors and those who died, and asked me to forward any feedback to him from the article and subsequent discussion. I'm glad the issue is out. My cheque should be in the mail soon. Lets see, new tent, new VHF, new paddle... Gerald Foodman wrote: > Doug, > I read with interest your Baffin Island Incident article in the July SK. As > a Solstice GTS paddler I noted that all 4 of the paddlers were in Solstices, > although you did not mention the model. But the point that interested me > was that a proximate cause of the fatalies was the difficulty turning into > the wind. I find the GTS superb in windy conditions but it does take some > strength and technique to turn it. For example, In 15 kts my inexperienced > sister-in-law was unable to turn it up wind at all. You also made the > correct point about the rudder hindering this change of direction. In winds > greater than 20 kts I generally raise the rudder if I want to do a 90 deg > turn. Once there course is easy to hold with or without the rudder, even in > those winds. The rudder is basically an energy saving device on long > straight runs. > > But from a safety point of view it is imperative that a paddler be able to > control the boats direction in any expected wind. Therefore a Solstice GTS > would be a dangerous boat to have for a moderate strength woman weighing > less than say 130 lbs. I don't think that the suitability match of boat to > person is sufficiently emphasized in safety discussions. > > Jerry *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I gotta agree with you Gerald. My experiences mirror yours. I have had GT and GTS's in the program for many years and in much more than 15 knots, they can be a blessing or a bear. They track soooo well that it's very difficult to turn them when the wind is NOT on your side. If the wind is helping they are a joy. I generally like to put strong folks in them if the weathers cranky. steve Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe N 45º 39' 47" 250 NE Tomahawk Isle Dr. W 122º 36' 16" Portland, OR 97217 Web: www.aldercreek.com Phone: 503.285.0464 Email: aldercreek_at_qwest.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/ ***************************************************************************
Gerald Foodman wrote: > Doug, > I read with interest your Baffin Island Incident article in the July SK. As > a Solstice GTS paddler I noted that all 4 of the paddlers were in Solstices, > although you did not mention the model. Just re-reading your post here, Jerry. My last manuscript read: "Mark was a little reluctant to discuss his concerns with the employee, so he settled for borrowing four Current Designs Solstice single kayaks." That was about as detailed as I could get from my sources. I doubt highly they were the narrower sister (the GTS - 22" beam) of the wider GT (24" beam) (or the bigger volumed brother - forget the model name; XL maybe?). > But the point that interested me > was that a proximate cause of the fatalies was the difficulty turning into > the wind. I find the GTS superb in windy conditions but it does take some > strength and technique to turn it. I paddle alongside losts of GT's and GTS's. The Solstice line of kayaks are excellent -- well balanced design(s). I'd go so far as to say the GT and GTS are some of the best examples of well-balanced North American sea kayaks -- fast, neutral helms, stable, directional, and comfortable. By well balanced, I mean the amount of windage the bow picks up is compensated for by good design below the waterline, offsetting any nasty tendencies. And the rudders are there for backup tracking or lazy padding. Mind you, this is based on my own observations over the last few years. Obviously, Victoria has a fair share of CD kayaks so I get to see a lot in action. As they don't have hard chines, they don't excel at "chined turns" obviously, but edging is still rewarded to some degree. > For example, In 15 kts my inexperienced > sister-in-law was unable to turn it up wind at all. You also made the > correct point about the rudder hindering this change of direction. In winds > greater than 20 kts I generally raise the rudder if I want to do a 90 deg > turn. Once there course is easy to hold with or without the rudder, even in > those winds. The rudder is basically an energy saving device on long > straight runs. Part of the problem with the incident was initially the offshore wind would not have produced waves sufficiently large enough to maneuver behind (assuming they could have handled the waves, which hit 6-feet by the time the swimmer rescue was completed). And like you say, 15-knots is enough to undo an inexperienced paddler. But 15-knots can be enough to cause problems for any inexperienced paddler in most North American Pacific Northwest sea kayaks where there is less physically inclined or skilled individuals in the driver's seat. I'm glad you concur with the raised-rudder-to-do-a-turn concept. I see a lot of paddlers struggling with this issue. The instruction level needs to come up a notch or two in some regional locations. > > > But from a safety point of view it is imperative that a paddler be able to > control the boats direction in any expected wind. Therefore a Solstice GTS > would be a dangerous boat to have for a moderate strength woman weighing > less than say 130 lbs. I don't think that the suitability match of boat to > person is sufficiently emphasized in safety discussions. In rereading your post, I reminded myself why I omitted this part of the discussion in addition to reasons already given. The previous SK issue or two back had an excellent article by Mary McClintock regarding proactive paddle trip planning with respect to rental kayaks. Regular SK readers would be well aware of her take on the subject. I quote from her on-line article: <<< Before the trip Do your homework. Spend time researching options for rentals. While the Web is a great resource for gathering information, don't assume that outfitters with Web sites or ads in paddling magazines are the only (or best) options available. Read about the area you're going to be paddling in, talk to other paddlers, and use Web discussion forums (such as www.paddling.net and www.epaddler.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html) to get information about rental possibilities. When I was planning a five-week trip in Prince William Sound, the outfitter I ended up using did not have a website and did not advertise in paddling magazines. I found out about them from an article in an outdoor magazine. I chose them because of the quality of the gear they rented (fiberglass boats, lightweight fiberglass paddles) and because they had a selection of kayak models from which to choose. Since I was renting single kayaks for myself (5'8", 175 pounds) and my friend (5'1", 110 pounds), I didn't want to use an outfitter that rented only one model or one-size-fits-all kayaks. I was also concerned about being able to rent boats with enough volume to handle five weeks' worth of food and gear. >>> In retrospect, perhaps the inclusion of the discussion would have served the readership better, at least as far as pointing out the obvious for those who missed it, or the not so obvious to those unfamiliar with the Solstice line. Take care Jer. DL > > > Jerry *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Nigel demonstrated his > well-known repertoire of edging, leaning, slid-slipping and > bow-ruddering maneuvers using the underlying principle that the kayak is > less encumbered by high pressure along the stern half when the kayak is > under sufficient movement generation, enabling the stern to kick-out > more readily than when static-induced turns are attempted. it took some > time before folks caught on to what he meant. I'm having some trouble understanding what this means. Can you put it into English words of one syllable so my heat-benumbed brain can grasp it? Joan PS Glad to hear you sounding more like the old Doug! Keep it up. :) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Well, that'll teach me to post to PW with a gale-benumbed brain. I shoud'da hung my gear and gone to bed last night after paddling. Anyway, sorry for the mumbo-jumbo. Essentially, as your kayak moves through the water the bow must push the water molecules out of the way. This creates an area of "high pressure" from bow to mid-section approximately. The remaining water from amidships to the stern is under "lower pressure." The skilled paddler will use this fact to their advantage when a turn is required, for example. Because the stern is so easily skidded sideways due to the _lower pressure_against the hull, rather than focus on moving the bow in an arc, you rather concentrate on performing strokes that kick the stern out. By leaning away from the turn, the stern's underbelly skims across the water more readily too. (Try sculling your paddle along the surface of the water by pointing the leading edge of the blade down in to the water. Iit doesn't work very well. But lift the leading edge of the blade slightly toward the sky, and you can easily skim it across the surface). And the faster you move the kayak forward, the more "low-pressure" is available for the stern. In my recent sea Kayaker article on the Baffin Island incident, I make a point of highlighting this phenomenon, because the folks who got into trouble couldn't turn back up into the wind. Leaving their rudders down meant the rear of their kayaks were less able to "skid-out." Here are my words in a different context, but essentially conveying the same idea: "Rosemary could have raised her rudder onto the rear deck. With a rudder deployed, the stern of a kayak will not slip downwind, making it more difficult, if not impossible, to get the bow turned into the wind. If she had paddled hard and fast straight across the wind she could have taken advantage of a kayak's tendency to weathercock: with more boat speed the turbulence at the stern would allow it to slip downwind, causing her kayak to turn with less effort into the wind. She would take advantage of the weathercocking by using sweep strokes on the downwind side. Rosemary also could have shifted her hands along the paddle shaft toward the upwind blade, thereby allowing greater leverage for wide downwind sweep strokes, and paddled only on the downwind side. Performing this kind of a turn with a strong lean that places the kayak further on edge makes for an even tighter turn. These are all skills learned with time and training." I stayed away from stern draws, bow-rudder strokes, etc., as I was trying to keep the text within the realm of moderately experienced paddlers/readers. Of course, taking advantage of "low-pressure" water skidding to turn back up into the wind can require paddling very fast and hard across the wind before initiating the turn. This presupposes paddlers in good condition physically, with the ability to handle wave dynamics and counterintuitive edging strategies. I myself use a deep-draft rudder in conjunction with heavy leans and wave utilization, or even head-in-the-water sculling to turn my kayak (rudder up), being my approach to both static and dynamic turns, respectively. Kayaks with chines respond best to "low-pressure" tactics it would seem, as do kayaks designed to work with the phenomenon such as Foster's and the Mariners, et al. Nigel simply puts all this into context in his on-water demos. As far as one syllable words, now your sounding like my editor :-) Doug Lloyd Joan Volin wrote: > Nigel demonstrated his > > well-known repertoire of edging, leaning, slid-slipping and > > bow-ruddering maneuvers using the underlying principle that the kayak is > > less encumbered by high pressure along the stern half when the kayak is > > under sufficient movement generation, enabling the stern to kick-out > > more readily than when static-induced turns are attempted. it took some > > time before folks caught on to what he meant. > > I'm having some trouble understanding what this means. Can you put it into > English words of one syllable so my heat-benumbed brain can grasp it? > > Joan > > PS Glad to hear you sounding more like the old Doug! Keep it up. > :) YEAH, AND STAYING UP LATE POSTING TO PW. Not good. *************************************************************************** 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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