Come to think of it, paddling the Malecite in a tailwind with significant waves and doing it with the boat facing both directions should be quite educational. Gonna have to wait though. I'm BWCA bound in a week.
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Following wind, waves, and canoe design. Where to next?
- Thread starter Steve in Idaho
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My favorite way to travel downwind. And I was the stem paddler in one of the inboard canoes. After taking the photo I took a nice little nap as we blew down the lake for maybe half an hour.
(BWCA July 1999)
(BWCA July 1999)
Scroll down to figure 10.1.3, and view the animation. This is what I imagine I'm feeling.
10.1 Wave Basics – Introduction to Oceanography
<p><em>Introduction to Oceanography</em> is a textbook appropriate to an introductory-level university course in oceanography. The book covers the fundamental geological, chemical, physical and biological processes in the ocean, with an emphasis on the North Atlantic region.</p><p>Last update...rwu.pressbooks.pub
There is movement in both directions, plus up and down. Under six miles of fetch, it's an interesting ride.
That makes perfect sense. The water does move forward, albeit much slower than the actual speed of the wave, and likely your paddling rate too in most circumstances.
I think @chrisrezac's observation about boat length, relative to wave length, is critical. At least with respect to trailing waves that might be traveling faster than your paddling speed: If the boat is long and the wavelength is short, then the bow gets buried in the backside of the forward wave, while the stern is being pushed with more force by the trailing wave. So if you're not perfectly perpendicular to the waves, then the trailing wave pushes your stern sideways much more easily than it can push your whole canoe up the backside of the forward wave. That's why quartering waves can be a viable option in that scenario: because you're effectively shortening the length of your boat relative to the vector of the wave, which reduces the force differential along the length of your boat. That said, if the waves are really that tight, even if you're quartering, you're still probably going to need to pry to keep your stern planted at the moment of the trailing wave's engagement with your boat because it is still going to meet your stern before the bow.
With nice big rollers, like @lowangle al's example, the wavelength is much longer and so the force differential isn't quiet as stark, so there is less relative lateral push on the stern, and its easier to maintain your intended direction.
You all know far more than I do about the performance characteristics of hull shape within any given length, but earlier observations about a rockered hull being easier to navigate in waves makes sense to me. By comparison, a seakindly sailboat would have a lot of volume amidships, with high ends that would gently lift the ship up and over the seas, rather than digging in. Though, I suppose a sailboat's rudder and keel go a long way too...
Yeah, because the wind isn't always aligned with the waves, what I have been doing is quartering slightly toward my onside and paddling hard with a little sweep when needed. Like I mentioned already, it forces me into a sprint. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not always ideal - especially after a long day.
You just described the sailboat i finally sold last year. And come to think of it, it was always easy to sail DDW.
Now that I've spent a few days paddling a Prism in the wind (a story for another thread), I have a little more to go on. It was interesting to me that I had less trouble going downwind in the Prism than I do in the Solitude. The Prism is definitely more work going upwind. But here's a rub. I think the presence of wakeboats on my lake is complcating the issue. That may be why it was easier dealing with those long fetch following waves in the Prism - no motor boats. It could be that I'm spending a lot of time dealing with an impossible challenge - ie: tracking a zero rocker canoe through confused seas.
The quest for another boat seems reasonable.
The quest for another boat seems reasonable.
On that's note - @Canoe 1885 , what can you tell me about your Merlin II's handling in wind general with a tripping load?
I got to spend about an hour in a Redfeather Merlin III which I am told is essentially the same boat, but of course other than me it was empty. I was shocked to see it took far less effort for me to maintain 4mph than it does in either the Solitude or the Moccasin.
I got to spend about an hour in a Redfeather Merlin III which I am told is essentially the same boat, but of course other than me it was empty. I was shocked to see it took far less effort for me to maintain 4mph than it does in either the Solitude or the Moccasin.
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There are two things going on when you are paddling in the wind. There is the effect of the wind on the boat, and the tendency of the wind to push the unweighted end down wind. Since most of us trim a canoe stern heavy anyway, this is probably less of an issue with a tail wind. A lot of people have trouble with it in a head wind.
Then there is the tendency of the bow to submarine as is comes down the face of a wave broaching the boat in the trough. The waves need to be pretty big in order for this to be an issue, but a boat that is improperly trimmed will also be more likely to spin around and broach in the trough due to the wind even in smaller waves.
You are right that that there are different types of waves. Wind-blown waves are moving in the same direction as the wind, and tend to be short period. If the fetch is long enough, they can get pretty big. Boat wake can come from anywhere. It also tends to be short period, but after 4 or 5 waves come though it is usual gone. Tidal waves on the ocean tend to be longer period and can become huge swells. On the ocean, it is not unusual to have waves moving in 3 different directions.
Is there a boat design that manages all these conditions well? Yes – a sea kayak. The first time I ran down the face of a following wave in my sea kayak was pretty cool, but not something that I would want to do in my canoe. The sea kayak has a skeg or rudder for managing wind, and a deck and a skirt to keep from swamping. If you can roll it (I can’t), even better.
I don’t know if there is a canoe that manages both of these conditions well at the same time. A long boat with less sheer will be less impacted by the wind, but more likely to submarine in waves. A shorter boat with more sheer will handle waves better, but be more impacted by wind. I think you split the difference and hope for the best. End of the day, I think it is paddling (and knowing when to take a lay-over day) more than boat design that gets you through wind and waves.
Then there is the tendency of the bow to submarine as is comes down the face of a wave broaching the boat in the trough. The waves need to be pretty big in order for this to be an issue, but a boat that is improperly trimmed will also be more likely to spin around and broach in the trough due to the wind even in smaller waves.
You are right that that there are different types of waves. Wind-blown waves are moving in the same direction as the wind, and tend to be short period. If the fetch is long enough, they can get pretty big. Boat wake can come from anywhere. It also tends to be short period, but after 4 or 5 waves come though it is usual gone. Tidal waves on the ocean tend to be longer period and can become huge swells. On the ocean, it is not unusual to have waves moving in 3 different directions.
Is there a boat design that manages all these conditions well? Yes – a sea kayak. The first time I ran down the face of a following wave in my sea kayak was pretty cool, but not something that I would want to do in my canoe. The sea kayak has a skeg or rudder for managing wind, and a deck and a skirt to keep from swamping. If you can roll it (I can’t), even better.
I don’t know if there is a canoe that manages both of these conditions well at the same time. A long boat with less sheer will be less impacted by the wind, but more likely to submarine in waves. A shorter boat with more sheer will handle waves better, but be more impacted by wind. I think you split the difference and hope for the best. End of the day, I think it is paddling (and knowing when to take a lay-over day) more than boat design that gets you through wind and waves.
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