Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 18:30:12 -0230 (NDT)
Message-Id: <1.5.4.16.19980724182030.12f76dfc@pop.thezone.net>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: leonard burton <duster@thezone.net>
Subject: Re: [baidarka] Paddles
>Yes, I had assumed this. Let me be more specific. While canoeing in Canada
>recently, it seemed to me that (in smooth water) a stroke that was as gentle
>as possible and added a just perceptible amount of push to the canoe
>required minimum effort produced maximum results. On the other hand, every
>time I essayed more "manly" paddling (the sort of thing that causes
>onlookers to comment something like, "They're really going!") seemed to
>contribute more to fatigue than forward motion. I just assumed, erroneously
>apparently, that with a multi-zillion dollar canoe and kayak industry packed
>full of tech-types that the hydrodynamics of paddle form and stroke would
>have had all sorts of high tech studies done on it. I am genuinely
>surprised.
when consisering boat speeds versus effort one must remember that in
designing steam ships 100 years ago it was found that to increase speed by
even a small amount a ridiculous amount of horsepower was needed . for
example a 20,000 ton battleship required 10,000 shp to go 12 knots to do 16
knots it needed 50,000 shp of course that was a problem to squeeze that much
power out of a reciprocating engine so they invented turbines {please note
these figures are approximate i simply dont have time to look up the exact
ones but im sure you get the idea}.
i was asked last year how fast my boat could go to which i replied "i
dunno" so the guy said see how long it takes to pass that wharf over there
so off i went it took five minutes to get there paddling quite furiously.
taking my time coming back took 3-1/2....and it wasnt even windy i was
trying so hard i was veering of course and pissing away all my energy what
more research could you ask for...the things we do for science..
len