[Paddlewise] Paul Caffyn bags rudders!!!

Hi Folks,

I was talking to Paul last night and he has this to add to the debate on
rudders, and the questions over his data:

3My average daily paddling distance has markedly decreased of late. I9m
blaming the rudder for slowing me down; it has nothing to do with my alleged
advancing age. The main requirement is that rudders are painted with black
and yellow racing stripes to keep sharks and crocs at bay.2

The last is to do with paddling in tropical waters, where the stripes mimic
those on sea snakes.

Paul is obviously a slow learner, as he is putting the finishing touches to
his latest kayak, a Nordkapp HM, with a high deck to better accommodate his
paddling style caused by tightening hamstrings. Fitted with a rudder, of
shiny aluminium, he is leaving on Friday for a trip to East Greenland, which
is a reconnaissance for a longer trip next year, following the route of Gino
Watkins.

Paul is going with Conrad Edwards, with whom he has done much of his
paddling over the last few years. Conrad, a K1 champion, also has a rudder
fitted to his Nordkapp, and he uses a wing paddle. Is nothing sacred.

While Paul is very opinionated on his support for rudder, he is happy to let
the debate rage, while he simply does the miles.

His circumnavigation of Australia, where he first recorded the effects of a
rudder, was a long time ago and since then he has covered many 1000's of
kilometres in his kayak. It seems ironic that the debate seems to be over
the possible advantages/disadvantages for us mere mortals, who in a lifetime
of paddling will never match any of his trips. After all, he sat his butt in
a kayak seat for a YEAR to paddle around Australia.

Works for him.

Cheers

JKA


-- 
John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
NEW ZEALAND
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