Black Coffee 2002 wrote: <Snip>>>>>>> I ended up paddling only using my northwest-side paddle just in order to stay on straight course to my target. So my hypothesis is that the current was moving from southeast to northwest through this small channel. The wind happened to be blowing the opposite way, which generate a bit of chop, and apparent wave flow, but the overriding dynamic was the current or tidal flow through this channel. <<<<<<Snip> >From this snippet of your e-mail I think there was more going on here than just a current. You give no indication in the e-mail that confirms the existence of an actual current and you wouldn't need one to experience just what you did describe. The tip-off is that you had to paddle only on one side to stay on course. A current alone would not make you have to do that. It would just drift you evenly sideways (except when you were crossing an eddyline in which case you would be turned once each time your bow crossed into a place where the local current direction had changed). In the main current you would be drifted sideways some but would only have to correct for the current once and then paddle evenly on each side toward your destination. I think you will find the same thing you described happening when you paddle across a side wind on a lake (where there is no possibility of much current). I'm going to guess your kayak had no rudder (or if it did you weren't using it). The next time this weathercocking (or weather helm) happens to you, try stopping and then paddling backwards across the same wind for a bit. Notice that then your stern is now the end of the kayak that is constantly turning up into the wind. Putting this simply, whichever end of the kayak is experiencing the lesser pressure (the end opposite the end that is pushing the water apart) is being blown downwind more than the end that is towards the direction you are moving. This "weather helm" effect is constant as long as you are moving across the wind so it must be constantly (or at least very regularly) compensated for. For a much more detailed discussion of weathercocking read the "Paddling" manual in the "Manuals" pick-box on our website (below). If you had been using a rudder you would probably have compensated for weathercocking without realizing you were now dragging the rudder along at an angle and it was slowing you down to make that constant correction. There are other devices and techniques (and kayak hull design factors) that can be used to compensate for weather helm besides a rudder. Again I'd refer you to the "Paddling" manual and website for more details. To check for side current line up two landmarks (one behind the other) that you are paddling directly towards and see if they stay lined up or if you are being drifted to one side or the other so they get out of line. Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.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/ ***************************************************************************
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