Impact of Heeling - Canoe Design

[Marc Ornstein]

If the differential rocker results in the stern being skegged (as is often the case) it will take a defined level of heel and or pitch to lift the "skeg" clear before the stern will be free to skid. That "defined level" will vary from boat to boat. The load being carried and where it is positioned in the boat will also effect how easily the stern can be broken free. All things being equal, (which they rarely are) the symmetrical hull should require less heel under any given conditions than the asymmetrical/skegged hull.

 

[lowangle al]

If the differential rocker results in the stern being skegged, why not just use it as a skeg to facilitate turns? I would assume the skeg effect is there to make the boat track better. If that is the case it should also make a boat steer into turns when leaned into the turn. That is if the skeg action can overcome the forces on the hull that cause it to turn away from the side of the lean, like from a flatter trimmed symmetrical hull. By trimming the boat stern heavy or having even more differential rocker it should overcome the tendency to turn away from the side of the lean and turn into it.

 

[Marc Ornstein]

If the differential rocker results in the stern being skegged, why not just use it as a skeg to facilitate turns? I would assume the skeg effect is there to make the boat track better. If that is the case it should also make a boat steer into turns when leaned into the turn. That is if the skeg action can overcome the forces on the hull that cause it to turn away from the side of the lean, like from a flatter trimmed symmetrical hull. By trimming the boat stern heavy or having even more differential rocker it should overcome the tendency to turn away from the side of the lean and turn into it.

Perhaps I misunderstand your reasoning. Canoes turn mostly from the stern. (The stern rotates around the bow) A skeg causes the stern to resist turning, to either side. With enough heel, (and or pitch) it may be possible to raise the skegged stern clear of the water, but then the skeg will have no effect, turning in either direction.

 

[lowangle al]

Thanks for responding Marc. As you may or may not know from perusing the forum, I have been paddling tandem boats from the stern seat for the past several years. For the past season I've been focusing on carving with the stern, by using it as a skeg. From my many years of paddling from a more centralized position I am aware that a boat will turn away from the side of the lean. What I discovered from the stern seat is that by releasing the bow with a bow light trim the stern stem acts like a rudder and it will carve in the direction you are leaning toward.
I have found that I get much more turning action using the stern than I can using the curvature of the hull and releasing the stems. The deeper the stern the sharper the carve. What I'm feeling is, by carving with a deep stern stem, the boat will track along that carve and will turn on its own. You will also get some of this effect by carving with the curve of the hull, but to a much lesser extent.

Again, thanks for engaging me on this. I know it flies in the face of modern traditional paddling as described by Bill Mason and others, and is especially counter to the freestyle paddling that you are doing. Which I think is great by the way. I think what I am doing predates Masons books and videos, which I think scared people away from this stern heavy style. I know it did for me, for thirty years anyway, since first reading "Path Of The Paddle"
Alan

 

[Marc Ornstein]

Thanks for responding Marc. As you may or may not know from perusing the forum, I have been paddling tandem boats from the stern seat for the past several years. For the past season I've been focusing on carving with the stern, by using it as a skeg. From my many years of paddling from a more centralized position I am aware that a boat will turn away from the side of the lean. What I discovered from the stern seat is that by releasing the bow with a bow light trim the stern stem acts like a rudder and it will carve in the direction you are leaning toward.
I have found that I get much more turning action using the stern than I can using the curvature of the hull and releasing the stems. The deeper the stern the sharper the carve. What I'm feeling is, by carving with a deep stern stem, the boat will track along that carve and will turn on its own. You will also get some of this effect by carving with the curve of the hull, but to a much lesser extent.

Again, thanks for engaging me on this. I know it flies in the face of modern traditional paddling as described by Bill Mason and others, and is especially counter to the freestyle paddling that you are doing. Which I think is great by the way. I think what I am doing predates Masons books and videos, which I think scared people away from this stern heavy style. I know it did for me, for thirty years anyway, since first reading "Path Of The Paddle"
Alan

That's an interesting perspective. I'll have to try it myself and see if I come to a similar conclusion. It may be some time before I have the opportunity. My other concern with paddling, stern heavy would be, when there is wind. With the boat significantly stern heavy, it will weather-vane, with the bow always wanting to point down wind. How do you handle that?