Topic: Going in a straight line! (Read 5239 times)

SAMD · « **on:** June 29, 2010 »

Hello to all, sorry but this has turned into a bit of a spheel,
I first 'canoe-d' about 45 years ago in Donegal. The boats were home built from kits of plywood, joints were taped, then the whole lot sanded and varnished, they were lovely things and I still have a few photo's of me in one. (plus one of me standing on a surf board paddleing with a single ended paddle - apparently this is now the thing to be doing with surf boards!) Anyway, being a plywood kit the boats had a shallow V shaped bottom, and they were used for pottering about the bays and caves etc. for years.
About 25 years ago I bought a plastic, not GRP 'canoe' - Kayak in an Auction at Killyleagh, one of a number of School boats being sold, it has a fairly rounded bottom, I'm not sure if it has a name etched into it, something makes me think it is a Piranha something, or maybe its Dancer - not sure. I used it occasionally - in Dundrum at my Dad's, or in Fermanagh at the Caravan.
I also bought a GRP 2 man kayak called a Nomad Trekka about 15 years ago and used it with my son or daughter in the same places. Neither had been used much for some years and last year I decided to go to Whiterock one afternoon with my son for a paddle in the two man, We got out through the moored baots and headed round towards the bridge to daft eddies, but we (for the first time) had awful difficulty keeping the boat straight and we seemed to travel in a series of arc's. Once it started turning we would both paddle on the side it was turning towards but it would continue to turn in that direction until eventually we would have to paddle backwards on the other side to make it turn in the direction we wanted. That boat has not been used since, but I have been out in the one man boat a few times and I am having similar difficulties in it. I dont remember ever having this difficulty before. From memory a slightly more powerful stroke on one side or the other was enough to keep the boat straight, but now I seem to have to paddle in bursts until I have to 'backpaddle' to straighten the boat up and loose all my momentum. Maybe I just notice it more 'cos I'm in my 50s!

Anyhow, does anyone know what is wrong! or have I just been lucky/unlucky and I'm now hitting tidal streams or something?

Cheers,
SAMD

LennyJ1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 29, 2010 »

I am not sure if the Bouncy has moved in the kayaks?

SAMD · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2010 »

Bouncy? is that buoyancy in old money?

Well that has certainly changed in the two man boat 'cos my son used to sit in front of me, but now we are the other way around 'cos he is two stone + heavier than me.

DryBag · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2010 »

Keeping straight in a wee boat like a canoe or kayak is hard, and as you seem to already understand, the shape of the hull makes a big difference.

Try tying something to the painter at the back and drag it in the water. When you're moving forward it'll act as a keel.

SAMD · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2010 »

Yes, I see how that would work. I dont fancy the extra drag though

I had wondered if my paddleing technique had suddenly gone wonky! I notice I can 'push' the front of the boat a bit more if I 'scribe a wider arc' with the paddle, but it is a bit more tiring especially if I am going for an hour or two. Are the sea Kayaks with a rudder a good idea then?

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Author Topic: Going in a straight line! (Read 5239 times)

SAMD

Going in a straight line!

LennyJ1

Re: Going in a straight line!

SAMD

Re: Going in a straight line!

DryBag

Re: Going in a straight line!

SAMD

Re: Going in a straight line!

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