...stick out so much? If there was a part of their paddles that could use some redesigning, their buttom system might be a place to start.
What's the solution for that restowing issue? A piece of electricians tape over the button? Keep a wrap around the shaft with a small folded over section of tape left sticking out so that you could unwrap the tape and wrap it over the button and then stow it? Cumbersome... There's got to be something...a wide rubber band of the right cirumference to push down that button that you could keep accessible on the paddle shaft next to the button? That has it's own downfalls. Any ideas?
I like the buttons like Lendal's paddlok or Nimbus paddles much better. Nimbus used a larger diamter button that's almost flush with shaft. The larger diameter gives more circumference for any forces to work on theoretically increasing the time until the slop in the shaft becomes annoying--am I right? And Lendal's paddlok system seems like a great system to me. I've got a couple of Lendal's and a couple of Nimbus paddles, so I'm a little biased, but I have just not been very impressed with the design of that button system on some other manufacturers.
Wonder if I could roll with a bent shaft Also, obviously, a bent shaft doesn’t lie flat against the sea kayak deck. That’s why I would favor a single blade paddle made with a kayak spoon blade. It will be easier to roll, without the need to adapt to a very different kind of blade.
how’d you break it? Did it just fail while you were bracing in the foam pile? Or did you windowshade and catch the blade on whatever was making the hole?
Most decked c-1 paddlers found the Norse blade to be too long. So we would cut down the shoulder. But we weren’t smart enough to realize that, once you cut 1.5 inches of shoulder down, there is a critically weak area. This is because, down in the blade zone, the glass does not go all the way around the shaft. It is the integrity of the blade that supports the aluminum shaft.
So, having cut down the blade shoulders, I was side-surfing an especially nasty hole on the Upper Chattahoochee. My low brace went down, and down, and I went over on the downriver side of the hole. I was unable to roll, and when I exited and pulled the boat out of the hole, I found that I had a bent-shaft paddle.
I repaired that paddle by putting in some dowel in the gap, and glassing it. On my other two Norses, when I cut the blade down, I wrapped the cut zone of the shaft with glass and epoxy.
I use a 62" Clinch River paddle for open boating now, but I use my oldest Norse as a spare.
You still roll with the blade, when you feel support under it. The bent shaft doesn't alter the feel of that. My WW paddle I got last fall is a bent shaft (and a trapezoid blade) and I paddle normally in long boats with a straight shaft and the usual blade shape. I notice no problem with either when I switch between them.
What I did notice at first was the relative shortness of the WW paddle, and I can get royally messed up on my left if the feather changes more than 15 or 20 degrees past the relatively minimal feather I normally use.
Greenland Stick is the best spare paddle. wood doesn’t scratch the deck. Stows easily. Doesn’t require assembly; when you need it, its ready, already in one piece. Can be slid from under the bungees easily. You can even deploy it if you’ve lost your paddle and are upside down, with enough time to roll up.
I, like you, paddle inland flatwater, large expanses. Little opportunity for the paddle to wash off the deck, like magoo_ns, for instance, who paddles in the ocean. But, remember, the paddle is your engine. It is your only engine. If your engine fails--broken ferrule, a loose blade, etc.--you will be hand paddling at about 0.5 mph all the way back to your launch site. Not worth it. When I go with a group, one of us carries a spare. Alone, I carry a spare.
If you're not paddling ocean, then unlikely that you;d need deck tubes, etc to be able to grab a spare on a moments notice. So, just buy a descent 3-4 piece paddle and store it in your dry hatch. If you break your main paddle, just waffle off to the shoreline and get out the spare. Also useful if you take a trip and are renting a kayak... almost all low end rental shops will give you a paddle that is like a butter churn, heavy as an Amish broom. So, pack and bring your four piecer on trips, too.
Questions on the foredeck plumbing. As I understand it, the idea it to encircle the shaft end of the paddle to allow it to be re-stowed (essentially impossible on the Nordkapp while underway) and to keep it from getting washed away in heavy water.
Before I go cutting plastic, what is the benefit (in your opinion) of your longer tubes over something like those short open ended ones pictured, versus the loops on other NKapp pictured (which appears to be a common way to store GP paddles on glass boats)?
in one link (close up shot) I supplied on my boat where cut down to about 10". I've since replaced them and am using tubes that are not cut down at all--15", I think pictured in one of the photo links above. I'm using the black ABS, which seems to be somewhat flexible in length and cross-section. All this to say, that with the shorter tube in surf, the shaft end didn't have as much purchase in the tube and would start to slide out. With the longer tube, I think more surface area of tube/shaft is in contact preventing movement and with the small amount of 'flex' of the tube, it seems to bend to the shape of the paddle a bit to help hold it securely. The tubes I have are quite thin walled--probably no more than 1/16" thick and seem well made for the application. In one of the links to a previous post I included on this thread, the details on the tubes I'm using are included.
To your other question: I think it's important that the bow end of the pipe not be open. I think this may be one reason the 'pipes' I'm using work in that rushing water is then not allowed to actually apply force to the end of the paddle itself and work on dislodging it. The elbow on the pipes takes the hit. Just my theory on why they work and I may be wrong...but they do seem to work. The loops seem to work for fadedred, but just looking at them, I don't think I'd be in the surf more than a few minutes to 1/2 hour and I'd be losing splits, but I haven't used them and they seem to work for fadedred.
Edit: I forgot to mention the other thing that I think helps keep the shafts in these tubes: the bungee that goes through the tube via drilled holes. (BTW, this ABS seems a little brittle when you go to drill it. If you push too hard, it'll crack.) As the end of the shaft gets pushed towards the end of the pipe, the shaft is forced by and then held in place by the bungee that goes through the drilled holes.
the ones that i have have a 90* bend at the end…i put minicell across the short side opeing of the elbow…that is then face down to the deck…minicell so that if it moves around a lot it will not dig into the deck as much…
i have also drilled small drain holes long the underside of the tubes-they do fill up a little bit…
i started with the full length…and the tubes actualy then rested on the hatch…so i shortened then a little bit…works great…
Tubes & Mods I figured the closed end would be better due to the water pressure.
I didn’t think about the bungie acting as a snugger on the paddle. Was that by happy accident or was it designed that way?
jmden I like your Nordkapp mods. I picked up a used 04 and want to spruce it up some. I would love to ask you some questions about some of your mods like the bulkhead and hooks.
I am used to a proper masik and ocean cockpit so I tend to pop my knee up into the spray deck. Those hooks look like just the thing for slipping knees.
You can do OK on Boatertalk if you phrase your question right. The problem is that threads disappear beneath the waves before all potential contributors get to them.
Lot’s of little variations The Tempest has great bungies for holding the tubes down so I just put mine under them. I do however, have a bit of bungie running between the two with a clip to make sure they won’t get away. They are easily removeable, not that I ever do. I found I had to raise the rear end of the tubes a little so the paddle slides in and out better. I did that with donuts of minicel (not perfect because it compresses perminently). I think you just have to figure out what works best for your boat.