Re: [Paddlewise] Feed the Need

Craig,

It seems to me that a typical day paddle might be 10 to 20 miles, not 2, and 
in windy rough conditions, so that the 'only' 1 mph speed difference you 
cite seems huge to me.  That the Mariner II is directionally stable is also 
a very big advantage for this type of travel, over even the Mariner Express. 
I can't speak to the Tiderace or Maelstrom kayaks.  Clearly if one just 
wants to play in conditions, then the Coaster, or Romany, or one of the new 
kayaks cited,  is a better choice.  If one wants to cover distance, then the 
Mariner II, although the new Tiderace Xplore at 18' by 21" might be as fast 
as the Mariner II.

My original point, however, remains that for either A to B travel, or for 
play, in rough conditions there is no advantage to the tippiness of the 
Nordkapp type hull.  The Nordkapp hull might have advantages in other 
respects, but not with regard to its absence of reserve stability.  The 
Tiderace designer states on his web site that he tried to incorporate a bit 
of stability in his hull precisely to improve rough water handling, as I 
believe he should.  On the other hand, I don't believe the Nordkapp designer 
considers that bit of stability to be of any importance whatever.  (Both 
boats are 21" in beam.)

Jerry

> I have a Mariner II and while it is certainly the fastest kayak I've ever
> paddled it's too directionally stable for me to consider it a "playboat".
> Even the Express - almost 2 feet shorter - is not what I think of as a sea
> kayak playboat. The Coaster, on the other hand, is most certainly a
> playboat. The F-1, based on a Coaster, has excellent initial and secondary
> stability and is reasonably stable directionally (especially compared to a
> w/w boat).. Doug's worry that it wouldn't be "fast enough" depends on what
> he means as fast enough. It's certainly not as fast as the Mariner II but
> over a 2 mile paddle it is only about 1 mph slower (on average) than an 
> M-II
> on a workout paddle basis (but including a paddle through a shallow zone).
> That is: 4 mph instead of 5mph.I am pretty sure I could paddle an M-II at
> 3mph using just my hands.  :P
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************