From: "Matt Broze" <mkayaks_at_oz.net> > Is it correct to assume you used both arms and also paddled a lot harder > when you wanted to catch up to your group in the tailwind. No, they had rested at the island where we changed course and had paddled slowly on the downwind leg. I didn't need to rest, since I hadn't worked very hard in the wind. I got to the beach at the same time as them. My downwind paddling was as much sailing (holding paddle up) as paddling. > I suppose you > could have arranged to maintain a broach to one side in the following waves > and kept using the paddle only on your good side (to stop further broaching) > then too but you probably wouldn't have caught up to the group in that case. The condition was no waves. That was what is significant about those conditions. High wind and no waves makes for ideal wind ferries, since the kayak is fully exposed to the wind; waves shield the kayak from the wind and only your body is fully exposed. I find that wind ferries are less effective when the waves are up - under those conditions, I only point into the wind enough to minimize downwind drift. > Another possibility, use your paddle behind you as a rudder to keep your > kayak pointed directly downwind and be blown to the take-out with a minimum > of energy expended while protecting the elbow from overuse. You could > feather the paddle so that the blade in the air becomes a sail. It is > unlikely you would have caught your group this way either though. I used edging to steer and not the paddle to rudder. > > I can balance the weathercocking with a paddle stroke and still > > get the kayak to go roughly in the direction I want. > I'd agree with this except for the first line. You will need to balance the > rotational movements due to the wind/water couple with a lot of paddle > strokes not "a paddle stroke" because until you reach a balanced angle with > all the forces involved, weathercocking is a continuous process. I was referring to the point where I am in rough balance. Pointing up into the wind reduces the weathercocking and then things start to get easier. When I said "a paddle stroke" I didn't mean I only take one stroke - I meant that each paddle stroke both maintains my angle to the wind and advances me into the wind yeilding my desired course made good. You seem opposed to wind ferries and my point is that they are effective, especially in conditions where the wind is not accompanied by significant waves. Paddlers have been using ferry techniques for a long time and my own experience is that they make life easy. You imply that the make for more work. Mike *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Dec 07 2002 - 08:42:13 PST
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