I thought a stern skeg might help but
I thought that a skeg might help.
Since I rigged the Osprey to sail it was pretty easy to mount the rudder and lash the steerstick, effectively creating a stern skeg. That did let me ge many more strokes to a side paddling kneel and switch.
After doing that a few times I was on the Merrimack up in Haverhill, Ma. one day when the wind was howling down the river kicking up 1 to 2 foot waves. I figured that would make as good a test as anything.
What I found was that the boat still wanted to broach pretty strongly but it was much more difficult to pull it straight. With the skeg raised I could keep it lined up. With the skeg down no way.
That was with a daytripping load but otherwise as close to my experience in Maine as I’ve encountered.
In Maine, with a weeks worth of gear in the boat, it felt an awful lot like it did in Haverhill with the skeg down.
Possibly
With the right/wrong kind of waves and wind I think any design will suffer this kind of problems, especially allround touring canoes that are compromises in performance. Advantage of the Osprey in my opinion is that even when it does suffer, I still have been able to control it in that kind of situations (much better than my other solo canoes). But I do suspect it is quite weight sensitive: a little too much aboard can make a big difference? So far I’ve had no problems in that kind of conditions without a load, but with about 300 lbs aboard and a bow heavy trim I have experienced about the same what you described. Slowing down with a lot of stationary strokes (posts and rudders) got me through then.
Me too
I also have had trouble in the wind with my Osprey.I posted here about the problem in the past and the possobility of a rudder added-that thread might have more info. Although my admitted limited skill level and strength is I’m sure a factor,I have this problem worse in my Osprey than any of other solos I have paddled. I ended up buying a Kestrel largly because of this experience,and I do much better with it in those conditions.I was reminded of this in a grafic way on a trip this summer on which my wife paddled my Kestrel and I was in my old reliable Osprey. We were in a moderate wind from a strn quarter. Even though she is a novice paddler and not real strong,she had much less trouble than me even after I retrimed,which helped. I attribute this to the Kestrel’s low freeboard and minimal rocker. I love my Osprey,but on big lakes under those conditions it can be difficult.
Turtle