Newbie to paddling

"Alan Adams" <alan.adams.RemoveThis@orchard-way.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c6112f504d.Alan.Adams@orchard-way.freeserve.co.uk...
 > In message <d1rnvj$o5j$1@hercules.btinternet.com>
 > "Ewan Scott" <ewanscott.RemoveThis@btinternet.com> wrote:
 >
  > > Snip fair discussion.
  > >
   > > > > Rather than nonsense, just a different view.
   > > >
   > > > I know, but you can't have a debate when everyone agrees can you?
I
   > > > still don't see how you manage to go slower than the flow of the
water
   > > > when going downstream unless you are doing so deliberately or you
are
   > > > being blown backwards by the wind.
   > > >
  > > Honestly, sitting in the Inazone waiting for others to catch up/
play on
  > > waves - and not in any eddy, I was slowly drifting downstream, but
small
  > > twigs etc were floating slowly past at a faster rate. If we turn
sideways to
  > > the current we drift even slower - gives more time to read
approaching
  > > rapids.
 >
 > I'd find that a bit hard to believe. What will make a difference is
 > wind/breeze. The twigs may have been going faster than the water
because of
 > wind, or more likely a head wind was slowing you down. In the absence
of
 > wind effects, a boat should travel at the same speed as the water.

This is what I think too.

 >
 > I think the original discussion was over a comment that progress was
slower
 > downstream. I took that to mean that speed over the water was less
when
 > going with the current than against it. Thus 2kph current and 4kph
boat
 > speed = 2kph upstream, but not quite 6 kph downstream. This I find
quite
 > likely, as there's less incentive to push hard when going downstream.
Also,
 > in shallow water, bottom drag will be greater going downstream, as
that is
 > related to speed over the ground.

This also makes sense, but in the context of paddling on the Thames, we
are talking about deep water.

David Kemper
Getting worried because I'm agreeing with people. Oh, the shame.....<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->

"Peter Clinch" <p.j.clinch DeleteThis @dundee.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:d1rghu$qre$1@dux.dundee.ac.uk...
 > David Kemper wrote:
 >
  > > A Canadian canoe is much slower especially paddled solo.
 >
 > Yes, but this is only a problem if you're in a degree of hurry
 > inappropriate to an open boat! OP might be, but might not...

Well yes but then you have to consider that the effort required to move
a craft with greater drag and more windage is going to limit the
distance the OP can go for a given amount of energy. That is to say
before he gets too tired.
 >
  > > Canadians are ideal for a pair of
  > > paddlers who want to cart a lot of cargo but aren't in any hurry.
 >
 > It's a lot easier to paddle a Canadian 2 up from a technical skill
point
 > of view, as well as just the extra motive power side. Solo open boat
 > needs a bit of practice with a good J stroke, and you can't just get
in
 > and go to the same extent you can with 2 paddlers or a kayak. But
with
 > a bit of practice solo open canoe does go places. Personally I find
the
 > requirement of a bit more skill to work it is a nice thing (as long
as
 > I don't get past what my own skills can deal with, of course!), but I
 > can see how people would just view it as making life difficult.

I like paddling Canadians solo and 2 up but it is more effort. I passed
my placid water level 2 coach in both canoes and kayaks, so have the
basic skills up to 3 star in both types of craft.

 >
  > > I find my knees get sore paddling Canadian canoes.
 >
 > In flat water you can just sit on the seats. Where I come down off
the
 > seats for rough stuff I actually find it's my ankles that suffer
rather
 > than my knees, but the boats I use have been lined with Karrimat by
 > their owner. Overall, especially on flat water, I find the
possibility
 > of more than one seating position makes the open boat more comfortable
 > than a kayak over a good stretch of time.

My ankles also suffer. I prefer kneeling to sitting as I find I can
control the canoe better and move faster. Speed is always the goal when
you belong to the racing community. Even when there is no real need!
 >
  > > Your experience with glass fibre boats must be radically different
from
  > > mine then. You do find ancient wrecked GF boats but ancient plastic
  > > boats are often also rather beaten up
 >
 > And I've seen GRP hulks that were basically porus /completely/
restored
 > to seagoing quality with a suitable dose of TLC. TSKC has an
anasacuta
 > which was basically a write-off hulk but was rescued, made waterproof
 > again, had a skeg added and a rear oval hatch in place of the old
round
 > one. None of that would have been easily possible with an old plastic
 > wreck.

Totally agree here. GRP (I normally say glass fibre but really mean
composite which can include kevlar and carbon as well) is normally a
lot lighter than plastic too.
 >
  > > This bit makes sense assuming a base paddling speed as low as 4KPH.
  > > Faster speeds are normal in GF touring and racing kayaks. I'm
considered
  > > slow and manage an average of 4-5 MPH and can paddle quite a bit
faster
  > > for short distances such as when overtaking canal boats. Sprinting
past
  > > to get through a bridge before the canal boat gets there and blocks
the
  > > hole is a fairly frequent occurance as is encountering another canal
  > > boat coming in the opposite direction. I try to avoid becoming the
  > > filling in a boat sandwich. I can't paddle for 6 hours though. I'm
sure
  > > I could build up to it but haven't any desire to.
 >
 > I'm going slower, but /can/ paddle for 6 hours: sea touring this may
 > well be necessary. But from a touring perspective I'd say the where
and
 > the whereabouts are probably more important to the paddler than the
how
 > far and how fast, which are clearly uppermost in a marathon paddler's
 > mind for good reason. I'd sooner dander down the river in a canoe,
but
 > clearly tastes vary.

It is a very good thing tastes do vary, or we would find the bits of
water we use getting very crowded. I've tried various canoeing
disiplines but find marathon suits me best. I still dabble in other
boats including canoes. I sail and I drive power boats sometimes. I
paddle in the swimming pool too. When I want a change.

David Kemper
Not a fan of overcrowding.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->