Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Guillemot handling characteristics
By:Pete Rudie
Date: 2/10/1999, 2:51 pm

My G has been seaworthy for 2 weeks now, and I've had it out in high wind, variable wind and no wind at all. It weathercocks in any puff of breeze. It also has some interesting turning habits. It seems to rotate around a point about 4 feet behind the bow, and about 20 feet abeam the boat. Once the turn begins, it feels like the bow tracks but the stern "skids". It feels like a car oversteering, with the radius of the turn decreasing and the back end all hung out. It doesn't seem to matter much whether it's a flat turn or a carved one. Is this common? It seems like this could be a real problem in following seas or when surfing. It's hard to carry any speed when every second or third stoke has to be a sweep. Intuition says it needs a skeg, but I'd like to hear from other G paddlers before chopping holes in the hull. TIA, Pete.

Messages In This Thread

Guillemot handling characteristics
Pete Rudie -- 2/10/1999, 2:51 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Gary Toffelmire -- 2/11/1999, 10:11 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Nick Schade -- 2/11/1999, 9:49 am
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Pete Rudie -- 2/20/1999, 7:06 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
George Burns -- 2/11/1999, 3:24 am
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Robert Woodard -- 2/15/1999, 6:07 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Nick Schade -- 2/17/1999, 10:03 am
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Robert Woodard -- 2/17/1999, 8:15 pm
wave size
Nick Schade -- 2/18/1999, 11:53 am
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
George Burns -- 2/16/1999, 2:11 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Mike Allen -- 2/15/1999, 4:00 pm
Weird ideas? why not !
Paul Jacobson -- 2/15/1999, 8:18 pm
Re: Weird ideas? why not !
Mike Allen -- 2/16/1999, 8:19 pm
Paul not Chris!
Mike Allen -- 2/16/1999, 9:34 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Stan Heeres -- 2/10/1999, 9:51 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Pete Rudie -- 2/20/1999, 7:08 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Mike Allen -- 2/10/1999, 8:18 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Jerry Weinraub -- 2/10/1999, 7:46 pm
Re: Guillemot handling characteristics
Robert Woodard -- 2/10/1999, 6:35 pm