"Paul Stivers" wrote in message
...
"Dave Van" wrote:

Just a few thoughts on this. And these are just thoughts since,
after about 3 years of kayaking, I too consider myself a novice.

I appreciate your humility Dave. However, if there's to be any
differentiation in our abilities/experience, as there should be, either I
have to change my description of my experience to something like "wouldn't
recognize a sea kayak if it hit me in the butt," or you have to change
yours to something like "novice-intermediate." I'm hoping you're willing
to change yours ;-). Perhaps I should change mine as well.


I think there's a lot to learn and always will be. I'm proud to be a novice
and so should you. It means we're not jaded.


Also, I appreciate your thoughts on the skeg. I hadn't thought of the
degree of deployment as a way to regulate the stern's tendency to rotate
to
down wind, relative to the bow's tendency, and therefore regulate the
overall boat's tendency toward stern-to-the-wind, bow-to-the-wind, or
neutral. Makes sense anyway.


I had the chance to paddle a Valley Aquila the other day in steady 15 to 20
MPH winds on a very choppy Lake Michigan. The skeg seemed to perform the
way I had anticipated. I think I may be a little light for the Aquila but
paddling with the wind with the skeg down, the kayak seemed "fairly"
cooperative in keeping on course. I think it would have done better for me
if it were loaded down a bit more. The owner of the boat was a little quiet
when I landed on the beach, forgetting to raise the skeg. That'll be
something I have to work on before I get a boat designed with a skeg.
Novices!

Have fun at the symposium. I wish I could afford the time to go.

DV