[Paddlewise] Experiment succeeds, idea fails.

I tried something on my week long trip - bringing a shower bag.
I've used them before (borrowed from others), but this time
I bought and used my own.  They are great IMHO.

The experiment is whether I could heat up the water while paddling.
I figured I could lash the shower bag on the rear deck and let the
sun heat it while paddling so I'd have a hot shower as soon as
reaching camp.  I thought about this and considered many problems.
I wasn't worried about the weight, since it was a relatively small
addition to the junk I already carry.  I wasn't worried about the
change in stability, since I'd only use it on a loaded kayak and
that has lots of reserve stability compared to empty.  

I was worried about it sloshing around.  I put the shower bag into a
mesh bag I made for my scuba gear - it has the hooks and stuff to 
connect to my rear deck's lifelines and bungies.  With the addition
of a single line around the mid-section, it was plenty steady.

The failure was in the one thing I didn't consider - the change in
trim.  Putting 15-20 liters (ie - 15-20 kilograms) on the back deck
changed the trim so much that I couldn't keep up with the others.
It felt like I was paddling uphill!  I drained the bag and continued
on.  

I guess I'll always have to wait for a shower while the bag of 
water warms up on the campsite.

Mike

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