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