Do you lean into the wind, away from it or try to keep your boat flat side to side?
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Paddling in the wind, which way do you lean?
- Thread starter lowangle al
- Start date
Depends on wind strength. If it's a mild chop, I'll still heel the boat to my paddling side, but if it's a good blow, I stay centred and give'er for all I'm worth.
Lowangle,
I'm assuming you're referring to beam wind? If you're into a headwind, yes you're leaning into it (forward). If side (beam) wind, and strong (a relative term), I would lean into it, and generally paddle on the windward side. If your boat is empty, little gear, this effect is more noticeable. If full, heavy with gear, it is probably way less noticeable. That's me, though. Others may do it differently and make it work for them.
In the wind trim is very important. That is how you control your boat. Lean is pretty instinctive and I don't give it much thought. For some big waves, one has to lean away from them.
Mostly what others have said. Know thy strengths. Know thy limitations. Know thyself. Otherwise...
My facetious approach is to lean into the coffee pot and give myself a generous pour, lean back in my chair, settle just under the tarps drip edge and enjoy the windswept view.
My facetious approach is to lean into the coffee pot and give myself a generous pour, lean back in my chair, settle just under the tarps drip edge and enjoy the windswept view.
....and then I pack up and go home........
Depends on how strong the wind and whether there are waves and what size. For instance, I was out on the downwind side of the lake a couple days ago. Light wind, but the long fetch provided some 1' waves. I didn't do any leaning into the wind, but let the boat rock under me with each passing wave.
OTOH, I have been hit with wind gusts strong enough to stop me against current - which required leaning away from current and into the wind. Same thing without current if the gust is strong enough.
I can't think of any time I purposely lean away from wind other than executing a turn. If I'm solo in a big lightly loaded tandem, I am definitely not leaning away from a strong wind.
OTOH, I have been hit with wind gusts strong enough to stop me against current - which required leaning away from current and into the wind. Same thing without current if the gust is strong enough.
I can't think of any time I purposely lean away from wind other than executing a turn. If I'm solo in a big lightly loaded tandem, I am definitely not leaning away from a strong wind.
I guess I should have mentioned that I'm not talking about wind with significant waves. If there are waves, keeping them out of your boat would be the priority. I'm also not talking about high winds either, just normal wind or even a breeze. It can be coming from any direction too, even in a head wind it will be hitting you from one side or the other.
I've always paddled with my boat leaned away from the wind. That what Bill Mason recommends and it made sense to me, until one day I decided to lean towards the wind. I noticed pretty quickly that the wind didn't affect my bow as much and it was easier to hold it where I wanted without using as much energy. At first I didn't know why, as it seemed counterintuitive, but I think I have it figured out. The first thing I noticed was that by leaning into the wind, it angled the bottom of my boat so that the V shape of the stern was slicing through the water as opposed to having water pile up against it. In other words, if I wanted to move my bow to the left it was now easier because it made moving my stern to the right easier.
The second thing I noticed was that by holding the lean the boat continued to turn. It became obvious at that time that I was carving into the turn and wind. Carving had always been somewhat of a mystery to me but this made it more clear. To put it simply, carving is just using your hull like a big stationary rudder.
This revelation has changed the way I paddle. Now, especially in wind, I'm always carving in the direction of the turn. This goes a long way into lessening the amount of energy needed for correction strokes and in turning the boat in general. When doing this in the wind I get the best results by leaning into it while paddling on the opposite (downwind) side. This should be easy in a dedicated solo that is narrow enough to lean to one side while paddling on the other. I can do it in my tandems paddling from a more centralized position but it's harder to get enough lean while paddling on the downwind side and still have a powerful stroke. I get the best results paddling from the stern seat where I can lean the boat either way and easily paddle on either side.
You guys who said they lean into the wind, are you carving like I described?
I've always paddled with my boat leaned away from the wind. That what Bill Mason recommends and it made sense to me, until one day I decided to lean towards the wind. I noticed pretty quickly that the wind didn't affect my bow as much and it was easier to hold it where I wanted without using as much energy. At first I didn't know why, as it seemed counterintuitive, but I think I have it figured out. The first thing I noticed was that by leaning into the wind, it angled the bottom of my boat so that the V shape of the stern was slicing through the water as opposed to having water pile up against it. In other words, if I wanted to move my bow to the left it was now easier because it made moving my stern to the right easier.
The second thing I noticed was that by holding the lean the boat continued to turn. It became obvious at that time that I was carving into the turn and wind. Carving had always been somewhat of a mystery to me but this made it more clear. To put it simply, carving is just using your hull like a big stationary rudder.
This revelation has changed the way I paddle. Now, especially in wind, I'm always carving in the direction of the turn. This goes a long way into lessening the amount of energy needed for correction strokes and in turning the boat in general. When doing this in the wind I get the best results by leaning into it while paddling on the opposite (downwind) side. This should be easy in a dedicated solo that is narrow enough to lean to one side while paddling on the other. I can do it in my tandems paddling from a more centralized position but it's harder to get enough lean while paddling on the downwind side and still have a powerful stroke. I get the best results paddling from the stern seat where I can lean the boat either way and easily paddle on either side.
You guys who said they lean into the wind, are you carving like I described?
If we're talking about light wind with no significant waves, in my solo canoes, I haven't felt any need or desire to lean according to the wind. It's been so long since I did much solo paddling in a tandem that I can't say for sure about that, but it hasn't been a factor when poling - as far as I'm aware.
When I think of deliberate leans, all that comes to mind is carving a turn.
When I think of deliberate leans, all that comes to mind is carving a turn.
Yes, it's all about carving a turn. I'd been leaning my boat for years, mostly to get closer to the gunnel and the water for ease of paddling. I didn't make a conscious effort to carve. Carving is what I added, in addition I added leaning into the turn, regardless of what side I'm paddling on. This carving, (which in my mind is using the hull as a rudder) has added a lot of efficiency to my paddling. Maybe that's what this thread should have been about.
I really haven't thought that much about it, I just always lean the canoe to my paddle side, unless things get hairy.
Padding relatively narrow solo canoes I've never done much leaning while paddling in normal circumstances. There are times I will lean away from a heavy beam wind to better deflect waves but otherwise I tend to keep it level unless I'm actively turning.
I do adjust trim in beam winds so the canoe doesn't weathercock. I find this to be very beneficial. This usually requires more weight in the stern. In light wind sliding the seat back is enough. In stronger winds I call Sadie out of the bow and have her sit between my legs.
Alan
I do adjust trim in beam winds so the canoe doesn't weathercock. I find this to be very beneficial. This usually requires more weight in the stern. In light wind sliding the seat back is enough. In stronger winds I call Sadie out of the bow and have her sit between my legs.
Alan
I started appreciating the idea of carving a turn with the offside edge when I got into poling. It's the way to get the bow back in line when going against the current, and really easy to do when standing. In fact edging one side and the other while stopped and facing the current, allowing the canoe to turn side to side back and forth is part of my regular poling warm up routine. It's also part of the toolbox for lining up to climb a ledge or to surf a standing wave.
When I started playing with surfing waves while paddling, it was just natural to do them same - although it takes a little more flexibility.
It's also the quickest way to get the bow back upwind on the lake when a gust of wind pushes it off. Each boat design responds differently, of course.
When I started playing with surfing waves while paddling, it was just natural to do them same - although it takes a little more flexibility.
It's also the quickest way to get the bow back upwind on the lake when a gust of wind pushes it off. Each boat design responds differently, of course.
Wind from front, load front heavy. Reverse if rear wind (within reason... I recently got hit by a couple waves from the back and took water on, because I was too heavy/low).
Beyond that, since I solo a sit-on-bottom and use a double paddle, I sometimes shift my center of paddle to one side or the other, enabling me to compensate for the wind that way (longer shaft downwind).
Beyond that, since I solo a sit-on-bottom and use a double paddle, I sometimes shift my center of paddle to one side or the other, enabling me to compensate for the wind that way (longer shaft downwind).
Whenever I have encountered strong winds coming at me I have two plans of attack.
1. Drop to my knees with my butt centered on the seat, I have always felt I gain a lot of power and less wind resistance that way. I keep the canoe as flat as possible.
2. I move close to that coffee pot Odyssey has going in post 5 of this thread and relax.
1. Drop to my knees with my butt centered on the seat, I have always felt I gain a lot of power and less wind resistance that way. I keep the canoe as flat as possible.
2. I move close to that coffee pot Odyssey has going in post 5 of this thread and relax.
I can remember a couple of trips when were younger when "we had to get home." Work loomed on the horizon often the next day. That caused some poor decision making and paddling in difficult conditions when it would have made more sense to go ashore and wait it out.
Once I was circumnavigating Lake Tahoe in a 23 foot sailboat. Sunday morning we had the length of the lake to go which is about 26 miles. The wind was terrible. We were the only boat out. I ran with bare poles with a 6 hp Evinrude straight into a south wind. People were watching us from shore with binoculars. There was little shoreline to break the wind. The seas were at least 4 feet at times. It was a solid boat with a lead keel but we never should have been out there. Be careful of the "we have to get home" syndrome.
Once I was circumnavigating Lake Tahoe in a 23 foot sailboat. Sunday morning we had the length of the lake to go which is about 26 miles. The wind was terrible. We were the only boat out. I ran with bare poles with a 6 hp Evinrude straight into a south wind. People were watching us from shore with binoculars. There was little shoreline to break the wind. The seas were at least 4 feet at times. It was a solid boat with a lead keel but we never should have been out there. Be careful of the "we have to get home" syndrome.
Like I said in my previous post, this discussion is more about using your hull to facilitate directional control and that is exactly what you are doing by holding your boat level. I spent the last 35+ years leaning away from the wind, which made me work harder to keep my bow where I wanted it.
