- Details
Een 3 luik.
Zoals in de vorige clubkrant stond heeft onze geachte voorzitter een solotocht door Nederland gevaren. Voorafgaand aan die tocht had hij Jos, Henk en mij uitgenodigd om het laatste traject op het wad een stukje mee te varen. Door weersomstandigheden veranderde dat plan en was er geen begeleiding meer mogelijk omdat hij naar huis ging. Maar Jos, Henk en ik hadden al 3 dagen vrij genomen en verheugden ons mateloos op dit doordeweekse intermezzo.
We hoefden er niet veel over te braadslagen: we besloten unaniem dat we toch gewoon gingen varen! Weer of geen weer! Omdat het weer toch wat onbestendig was werd het een drieluik van afzonderlijke dagtochten.
Luik 1
De eerste dag, een maandag, was er onstuimig weer voorspeld. Daarom zochten we een beschutte hoek op: De Kreupel werd onze eerste bestemming. Die vrees voor slecht weer was totaal ongegrond want wij vonden het prima vaarweer.
We gingen te water in Medemblik en voeren in rechte lijn naar de Kreupel, een eiland dat ongeveer ten Noorden van Andijk ligt. Op het water verbaasden we ons erover dat er zo weinig andere mensen in bootjes te zien waren. Sterker nog, we zagen helemaal geen mensen. Ze moeten zeker allemaal werken. En ons missen ze niet, want de wereld draait gewoon door. Ongelofelijk!
- Details
Today I went to Huisduinen for a clockwise circumnavigation of the Noorderhaaks (Razende Bol); a challenging area in case of heavy weather. But today there was only an easterly 4Bft; predicted to increase to 6 Bft near the evening. I was accompanied by 4 club-members, all eager to use the opportunity the weather offered for a tour in late November.
Wieger did the planning and proposed to try to complete the circumnavigation in 2 hours; in this case we could plan both crossings of the Marsdiep on the outgoing tide.
We left Huisduinen and made the crossing to the west-end of Noorderhaaks while wind and waves came from right-behind. The 16X asked quite a lot of attention to keep course in the low waves which were constantly pushing me of our course. I was concentrated to use the rudder the right way and I realized that this behaviour in keeping course is very similar to for instance my AnasAcuta's (also a manoeuvrable kayak), which I used for years without a variable skeg.
So there is nothing wrong in the design. The only thing is that in a kayak outfitted with a variable skeg you have a choice: you can use the skeg and thus change the behaviour of the kayak. Or you choose not to use it, just relying on your paddle-technique. Discussing this, Jan told me he seldom uses his skeg (in a Nordkapp Jubilee) for this reason and not to become dependant on the skeg. Only if necessary for some reason he does so.
- Details
Last week the weather was rather unpredictable. Quite a lot of wind during the week; sometimes too much to paddle, but it was expected that Sunday the wind would increase to approx. 5-6bft with its limit in the evening at 7bft.
So, time for paddling the 16X in seaconditions is what I thought.
I found Roel and Maarten (both paddling an Atlantic) willing to accompany me to the Voordelta in the south of Holland.
Starting at 11h the wind blows as predicted at 3bft but instead of increasing gradually, the wind just decreased to almost zero during the afternoon.
No problem as I was in good company: we had a very pleasant tour.
Starting from the south end of the Brouwersdam we headed West first to visited a sandplate for lunch.
- Details
In the last weeks I had not much to mention about progress of the test with the 16X . Is a matter of time (work, vacancy, ...) and no paddling-mates available at the days there was enough wind.
There are three things to mention however:
16x versus Baidarka
On a certain Wednesday-evening it was rather rough weather and I went, together with Wieger, for a paddle on the lake nearby the club. As I didn't plan to paddle from there I paddled my Baidarka which was at the club.
What's interesting is that, after having paddled quite a lot in the Epic16X the weeks before, the Baidarka felt like an very unstable kayak.
It's not that I had problems with that, but it was such a difference that I can only conclude that the stability of the 16X is very good. I concluded that before, but now the difference is clear as well.
- Details
After the exercises with the 16X, I continued with the Greenland paddle that I took with me for that purpose.
I was wet anyway, 
.
- Details
Although I didn't have the whole weekend to my disposal for paddling, I could spend the afternoon for wet-exercises with the 16X. Not a bad day as the weather was very friendly; almost spring
For testing I took a very familiar paddle (an old Schlegel Racing) with the purpose to be able to concentrate only on the kayak.
Rolling
Rolling is very easy, both rolling completely backwards as well as bending forward while rolling up. Rolling backwards I was not hindered by the backrest; which I adjusted as low as possible, like I wrote before on the site.
- Details
This evening I chose the 16X together with the Greenland-paddle for my “weekly” trip to the club on Wednesday-evening.
It was about time to use the Greenland-paddle again as the last strokes were about 2 months ago due to holiday and the test with the 16x which came by.
As conditions (almost no wind) were similar to 2 weeks ago this was a good opportunity to compare the influence of the paddle on the speed reached in the 16X.
After a few strokes, to get used to Greenland-style again, I was astonished about how easy it went: no fluttering, no splashing but soundless, powerful strokes.
- Details
Today the Dutch kayak Association (NKB) organized a trip to Borkum; starting at Eemshaven. This seemed an ideal occasion to paddle the 16X;expecting bigger waves than I encountered until now.
However the weather-forecast wasn't too good with only a small weather-window in the afternoon. When looking out at sea this morning at 8.30h we all had the feeling that this trip was not a good idea with the SE-wind already blowing at 5-6bft and not being sure when OR if the wind-force was going down. Local marifoon forecasts did not mention any decrease.
Thinking about an alternative tour, another island in an less exposed area, seemed a lovely idea but timing was difficult as we had to travel by car again risking too low tides. This could be worse than the normal tides because the easterly wind was lowering the waterlevel in the waddenzee.
So after some discussion we chose for the Lauwersmeer nearby.
As this lake is a bit inland the wind was much lower in force: I estimated only 4 bft. What a pity for my waves ;-)
- Details
After the surf-session yesterday, while cleaning her from sand and salt at home, I discovered 1,5 liter of water in the back compartment. I could not believe that the strapping system (with a lever to reach high tension) of the hatches failed in keeping the compartment dry.
Inspection of the compartment showed that at the spot where the tubes ,containing the rudder-commanding-ropes, passed the bulkhead were three holes through which the water could enter freely into the compartment.
Because the holes are at the topside of the bulkhead the water can only have entered from the cockpit while carrying her in a position that the water in the cockpit reached the holes.
- Details
Today the kayakclub planned paddling in surf near Bakkum. Anoushka, who normally initiates these surfing events, did a good job as conditions were challenging in the 5-6Bft NW-wind. Perfect planning.
To leave the beach there were enough hands to push me off into the waves. Normally you appreciate this with a warm "thank you". Today however I asked not to push off because I wanted to learn how the 16X handled this with the fin at the underside of the rudder while dragging the fin through the sand. At first while pushing myself with 2 hands, like a seal, this went very well. In fact the fin only partially digs itself into the sand. When where was enough water under the kayak to start paddling the problems begun: when the fin touches the sand the bow pivoted away immediately under the pressure of the current along the beach. I had to work very hard not to wash ashore again while fanatically scraping the sandbottom with my paddle to keep bow pointing out at the sea.
Most short surfkayaks have also 1 or more fins at the stern. These fins will also plough into the sand, but may be the problems are less because these kayak are much shorter and very maneouvrable. But I guess that paddling such a kayak must be learnt as well.