Message-Id: <199911080758.XAA20692@spot.yknet.yk.ca>
From: "George Privett" <gprivett@yknet.yk.ca>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 23:53:40 -8:00
Subject: Re: baidarka directional stability
Hi Jason,
I can't answer your question, but I have one for you. What model did you
build? I just ordered a Blandford folding double plan from Clark Craft on the
internet.
George
> Greetings!
>
> I just got off the water, testing my recently built skin kayak (built from
> Blandford plans). Today was dead calm, no wind - I got back to the put-in
> just as the sun was setting. A beautiful day altogether but marred by
> severe annoyance directed at my kayak. Here's why.
>
> The first couple times I had it out I thought it was weathercocking
> severely, so I figured I would put a keel on it. But today there was no
> weather for it to cock into, and it still wouldn't go straight - and the
> faster I went, the worse it got. It didn't seem to care which direction,
> just that it wanted (quite badly) to veer off to one side or the other,
> and turn perpendicular to its direction of travel. Now I am assuming that
> this is not typical kayak behaviour - this is the only kayak I've ever
> paddled aside from a sit-on-top and a Kiwi type.
>
> The boat has considerable rocker, about 2.5" astern and 1.5" forward. I
> am wondering whether the fact that the lateral area in the water is
> unbalanced - more forward - would make it directionally unstable, in which
> case a keel would only make matters worse. Although it seemed to do the
> same thing in reverse. (It was designed to be used with a rudder. I was
> hoping to avoid that.)
>
> I know there are some real experts on this list, and most of you are
> more expert than I am - what gives? Should a kayak be directionally
> stable, and if so how does one achieve that?
>
> TIA,
>
> Jason
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