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From: James <jimtibensky_at_fastmail.fm>
subject: [Paddlewise] Weathercocking etc. . .
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:27:43 -0500
Did I miss it, or was there no mention of the idea that I was taught:
that a kayak will weathercock even when the profile of the boat and
paddler above water would suggest that the boat should leehelm.  The
reason being that the bow is cleaving "still" water and, thus, wants to
go straight whereas the stern is moving through perturbed water (the
wake) and, therefore, is easily moved to the side.  This explains why
turning is easier at speed and why my kayak will weather cock in a
strong wind even with a large tent bag on the front deck and nothing
behind.

Is this not correct??


Jim Tibensky
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From: Gary J. MacDonald <garyj_at_rogers.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Weathercocking etc. . .
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:01:36 -0400
This was described to me, for ww canoeing, as a result of the fact that the bow 
makes waves, and to turn the bow youhave to lift it over or through those waves. 
  The stern on the other hand is ell between the bow waves and can move back and 
forth more easily.  Hence you initiate a tun from the stern to start breaking 
through the bow wave, and then add power to the turn from the bow.

GaryJ

James wrote:
> Did I miss it, or was there no mention of the idea that I was taught:
> that a kayak will weathercock even when the profile of the boat and
> paddler above water would suggest that the boat should leehelm.  The
> reason being that the bow is cleaving "still" water and, thus, wants to
> go straight whereas the stern is moving through perturbed water (the
> wake) and, therefore, is easily moved to the side.  This explains why
> turning is easier at speed and why my kayak will weather cock in a
> strong wind even with a large tent bag on the front deck and nothing
> behind.
> 
> Is this not correct??
> 
> 
> Jim Tibensky
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: [Paddlewise] Turning from the bow - was Weathercocking etc. . .
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 06:44:50 +1000
Gary wrote: -
>to turn the bow you have to lift it over or through those waves.
>The stern on the other hand is ell between the bow waves and can move back
and
>forth more easily.  Hence you initiate a tun from the stern to start
breaking
>through the bow wave, and then add power to the turn from the bow.

G'Day,

Another factor that can lift/slide the bow through the waves is edging the
boat. This helps when initiating a turn from the bow, which tends to
maintain speed whereas initiating a turn from the rear can slow down a
kayak. If you have a rudder and want to initiate a turn from the bow it
helps to have crossed the rudder cables under the deck as described by Matt
Broze on his web page. http://www.marinerkayaks.com/mkhtml/rudmanuw.htm

All the best, PeterO
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From: John Kirk-Anderson <jka_at_netaccess.co.nz>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Turning from the bow - was Weathercocking etc. . .
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:52:08 +1200
on 27/9/06 08:44, PeterO at rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au wrote:

 If you have a rudder and want to initiate a turn from the bow it
> helps to have crossed the rudder cables under the deck ..


Crossed rudder cables are the only way to go!

My only advice is to spend time unlearning/relearning which foot to use to
turn, well away from a pod of K1's on a training mission! The resultant
capsize was amusing, in retrospect.

Cheers

JKA


-- 
John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
NEW ZEALAND
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Turning from the bow - was Weathercocking etc. . .
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:50:07 +1000
John Kirk Anderson wrote
>My only advice is to spend time unlearning/relearning
>which foot to use to turn, well away from a pod of K1's
>on a training mission! The resultant capsize was amusing,
>in retrospect.

G'Day,

Very good advice. Bought a ruddered boat the other day (A Mirage). I'd been
paddling it without a rudder being leary of paddling a new boat and learning
a new technique at the same time. The rudderless boat turned very nicely.
But with the rudder fitted it became difficult to do a bow sweep turn just
by edging. Then I read Matt Broze' pages, swapped the cables and did
beautiful lean turns but at the expense of two days of near misses with
rocks, people and ducks.

Reckon I'm OK now but people are still staying well clear. It will be a
while before I go back to gauntlets and caves in a ruddered boat though.
Don't trust my reflexes yet.

All the best, PeterO
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