Subject: Re: [baidarka] Number of Boats, Was: Umiak
From: brian.nystrom@att.net
Date: Tue Oct 16 2001 - 15:12:45 EDT
> A few years ago there was an incident with one of the Maine touring companies. They had a group of their guides together for a training day. The wind came up. One trio ended up
> rafting together as they were blown out to sea, to be rescued later by a fishing trawler. They rafted up because one of the participants, in an HM, wasn't able to control the boat.
That's one person who should not be guiding, at least not in that boat. I fail to see where one incident of an incompetant paddler constitutes grounds for labeling a boat "dangerous".
> IF you are willing and able to commit to leaned turns, in adverse conditions,
> the Nordkapp HM is fine. If you aren't, I think the combination of boat and
> paddler is potentially dangerous.
A Nordkapp is not a beginner's boat and if you're not comfortable with leaned turns and don't have well developed sweep strokes, you shouldn't be in one. I would never suggest it for a novice paddler. Fortunately it's a boat that most novices would be scared of if they tried it, so it's probably a non-issue.
Considering the number of boats that the original poster has, I'd say he probably doesn't fall into the novice category, so calling the boat "dangerous" is misleading, at best. I'd be willing to bet that he's paddled one, too. I doubt there are many inexperienced paddlers out there that just wake up one day and say, "You know, I think I really need a Nordkapp HM..." ;-)
> It does track straight and is moderately fast. I've tried to race it a few
> times and it generates quite a side wake when pushed.
I find that it cruises compfortably at a higher speed than many other boats I've paddled, but you're correct that it's not a race boat.
> One thing that really surprised me was the large number of Nordkapps at the
> Delmava Retreat. It's hardly what I would call a "Greenland" boat and it's
> poorly suited to learning Greenland skills (that's why I built an SOF boat),
> but it must have something going for it if so many experienced paddlers choose
> it.
>
> Uh oh, the argument "they have one it must be good" ;-) I would expect the experience paddlers to be willing to commit to leaned turns in nearly any
> conditions...
OK, and your point would be? We've already determined that it's a boat for experienced paddlers. No one has suggested otherwise.
> Despite my bias, my wife loves the Nordkapp HM and has no interest in trying let
> alone paddling anything else. I do paddle our Nordkapp, and have paddled it in
> entertaining conditions, you just need to be able to commit to leaned turns in
> whatever may come your way.
I use leaned turns in every boat I paddle. I suspect that most experienced paddlers do the same, since it's a pretty basic skill. I really don't see where it's any big deal.
Perhaps your experience differs, but I've never seen anyone who owns a Nordkapp who didn't have well developed skills. The one exception might be myself, as I bought one as my second boat after seven months of paddling and skills sessions. It took me a while to get used to it, but I was never in any danger, despite using it in some pretty nasty winter conditions.
BTW, I find that mine is pretty neutral in the wind and that I can cause it to weathercock or leecock slightly by leaning forward or backward, respectively. This has been very useful for maintaining a heading with a minimum of corrective turns and strokes in difficult wind/wave conditions. The other thing I've learned is that it's futile to try to push the boat around forcefully. It takes time to build momentum in a turn (probably because it's so damned heavy!). If you try to push it too hard, too fast, you just waste energy. If you give the boat a chance to start turning before you push it, it will turn faster with less effort. Perhaps you already know all of this, but I figured I'd throw it out there in case anyone else hasn't discovered these techniques. I know it took me a little while to figure them out.
-- RegardsBrian - Baidarka Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside Baidarka or Baidarka archives without author's permission Submissions: baidarka@paddlewise.net Subscriptions: baidarka-request@paddlewise.net Searchable archive: http://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b27 : Thu Nov 01 2001 - 01:30:03 EST