On Wed, 19 Feb 2003 20:57:53 -0600, "Mark Arnold" <mjamja_at_earthlink.net> said: I grew up racing tandem marathon flatwater canoes. As a starter point we had lines painted on the inside of the hull that you could see from the seat. For the bow seat this was about a foot back from the bow. You can see the water through the skincoat kevlar hulls so after getting both paddlers in the boat we would adjust the sliding seats so that the boat was a little under an inch bow heavy. That way once the canoe was up to speed it was travelling level. If we encountered strong winds we would adjust the sliding seats, while under way, so that we could continue to paddle with similar number of strokes on each side. Figuring this out is pretty easy, the boat acts like a giant weathervane, the "heavy" end will get turned into the wind. If you are turning into the wind the boats balance needs to be adjusted toward the stern. If you are turning downwind the boat's weight balance needs to be adjusted toward the bow. A boat that is set up overly bow heavy can be brutal to control. You can paddle forward for a while but once the boat starts to turn it will start to spin, unless the turn is stopped early on. A stern heavy boat will be easier to bring back into line but it will tend to wander. If you want an easy visual how the boat is set up you might paint small waterline marks at the bow and stern. One line, at each end, one for unloaded, and a second line for fully loaded. After a few test runs I'm sure you'll know just how you want the boat set up. Doing the lines on the outside would make you use a paddling partner to judge your trim, or you would have to do it without being in the boat. It won't take long figure out how you like the boat trimmed, after that it's just a quick glance to see if it's a differential that you like. Kirk -- Kirk Olsen kork4_at_cluemail.com *************************************************************************** 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 Thu Feb 20 2003 - 04:30:30 PST
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