Technique Stay the Course
BY ALEX MATTHEWS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE FROM A TO B
WHEN PADDLING IN CROSSWINDS or cross- ing currents, it can be extremely difficult to stay on a straight-line course from point of departure to destination. The direction you point your bow is not necessarily the direction you’re moving, so it’s really easy to paddle a long arcing route without even realizing it. While taking the scenic route isn’t necessarily a
huge mistake, on long exposed crossings it’s usu- ally preferable to minimize distance. And as we all remember from math class: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. A range—also known as a transit—gives a paddler
easily interpreted, “on the fly” visual feedback on course headings relative to lateral drift. That might sound complicated, but it’s actually really easy. It’s a very useful tool to prevent drifting off course due to current or wind on longer crossings—and handy for short ones too. It is far easier than reading a com- pass or GPS while paddling, and far less likely to make you motion sick. To establish a range, pick two stationary reference
points that are off in the distance and roughly on your course heading. Your two points need to be some distance apart, with one closer and one further away from your position, but roughly in line with your direction of travel. By watching how these two reference points move relative to one another, you can instantly gauge if you are drifting off course. Say you pick a mountain peak in the far distance
and a distinctive dead tree on the shoreline as your reference points. If the mountain is moving left rela- tive to the tree, then you are drifting off course to the left. If the mountain is moving right relative to the tree, then you are drifting right. If the two ref- erence points stay aligned, then you are on course and travel ling in a straight line. By adjusting your heading and paddling to keep
your range reference points aligned, you are effec- tively setting a “ferry angle” that will counteract the effects of current or wind and allow you to travel ef- ficiently in a straight line to your goal. Even if the ef- fects of current and winds change drastically during the crossing, you can adapt as needed to maintain your course.
ALEX MATTHEWS is the author (with Ken Whiting) of the book Touring and Sea Kayaking—The Essential Skills and Safety and the instructional DVD The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking, published by the Heliconia Press,
www.helipress.com.
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| ADVENTURE KAYAK summer 2007
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