[Paddlewise] [SPAM] Re: Rudder redux

Craig Jungers wrote:

> An unruddered kayak might perform poorly in following seas compared to the
> same kayak with a deep draft rudder.

Then the flaw is in the kayak.  Using a rudder to fix a flawed kayak is 
not proof that a rudder is the solution to every problem or that a 
rudder will make any kayak "better".  You seem to be avoiding this basic 
fact.  Just because he benefited from a rudder proves nothing about 
rudders.  What he has shown is his _kayak_ is better with the rudder. 
Unless he isolates the effect of the rudder from the kayak, he shows us 
nothing.

> Repeat his test, collect some data, and see for yourself.

I've already done such - read my previous post.  Some kayaks benefit 
greatly because they are badly designed kayaks.  Some do not benefit in 
any apparent way if they are well designed kayaks.  What is significant 
is whether a _good_ kayak benefits significantly from a rudder.  I 
haven't seen that.  I have seen rudders used to compensate for a badly 
designed kayak.  Caffyn's data suggests he has a rudder on a bad kayak.


> Clearly it does. It's data. It's recorded. It's not opinion or hearsay.

It's not based on any substantial analysis nor does it come with any 
relevant data on the test environment.

> Just criticising it on the basis that he had no "control" 

Data in the absence of control is just circumstantial anecdote.


 > (I would think that his kayak prior to the rudder was a pretty
 > decent control, actually)

Based on what?  His kayak sans rudder is not measured relative to 
anything else.  What is the standard that is used to define the baseline 
of what a kayak should be without a rudder?  A Pintail without skeg?  A 
WW kayak with inherent longitudinal instability?  A Mariner that was 
never designed for a rudder?  An ICF racer?

 > is both unfair to Paul Caffyn and to the paddling
 > community at large.

It is more unfair to claim that something worthwhile is known about 
rudders by taking the information at face value and misleading people 
about rudders.  We need real results, not religious worship of Caffyn's 
anecdotes.

Mike
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