Right-handed paddler needs help going left

eubie · Post by **eubie** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:47 pm

My first time on the Ocoee this summer I realized that going left while current was pushin me right was my problem.

I got munched at Blue Holes (?) big rapid above Olympic course. The move was to go left and miss the holes on the right. Not a good place to swim.

Help?

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:35 pm

which direction were you headed:

pointing downstream paddling -or- maybe 'back ferrying'

***or***

upstream and ferrying ???

eubie · Post by **eubie** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:00 pm

I guess I was trying the middle route: hit the tongue on the right of huge rock in the middle at the top, tryin to move to river left. Current wants me to go right and into the holes. It won. Swung my bow to my right and all I could do was stay straight and paddle like hades.

KNeal · Post by **KNeal** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:45 pm

Headache and cold is better, little girl down for her afternoon nap, it's cold outside again, river STILL dry! Guess I'll add more cents!

I'm not familiar with the Ocoee section you're talking about, so I'll try and draw on memories from similar problems. I'm assuming you want to make an upstream ferry (bow pointed upstream) to cross the current. In a longer boat (about 9 feet and longer), you want to exit the eddy into strong current with really good forward speed, the bow pointed upstream (about 45 degrees up from perpendicular to the current), and with the downstream side of the boat tilted downstream. When the bow hits strong current with the stern still in the eddy, the bow will get whipped around pretty quick. When the bow crosses the eddy interface (usually called the eddy line), reach forward and take a strong forward stroke to launch the boat forward, then reach forward again to take another forward stroke quickly. It's important to take short, strong strokes (finishing the stroke at about your thigh/hip) rather than take the stroke all the way back past your body.

In a shorter boat, the setup and exit into the current is the same, but you want to keep taking even shorter, quick, strong strokes. One thing you want to avoid is trying to steer the boat across strong current (unless you have to avoid something/someone, or even a kyacker

). That'll take away your forward speed and stall you out in the current.

this holds true if you're paddling onside or offside (though offside, you want to keep taking short, strong, quick strokes). Not knowing you and having never seen you paddle, I'm somewhat surprised crossing right to left as a rightie was difficult as that's an onside move and your strongest paddling position--or it could just be me with a stuffy nose and a dry river.

Hope this helps. I recall Paddler magazine had something about that in the last issue. Anybody know the article?

KNeal

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:13 pm

If it's as KNeal assumed and you were trying to ferry, I agree - keep trying similar moves with more speed and less angle until you're not getting blown downstream.

But I'm not sure that the poster was entering the current for a ferry, I think he was coming downstream and trying to power left?

Using too many stern correction strokes can hurt you if that's the case - if you're dragging a j-stroke or pry to keep your line while applying power, you can loose momentum and get swept down. Try using more off-side power strokes.

Or you can just keep powering on your right and let the boat turn and go into an upstream ferry.

Or you could get an eddy behind the rock you described and then do the ferry.

Hard to know when we're guessing at what you were doing and don't know the rapid. But there's probably several lines to run it, and for every line there's probably different ways of doing it.

You might to be more specific to get better advice.

PY.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:52 pm

i'm thinking you were heading downstream. if so, i know just what you mean! i'll just second what yarnellboat said about "more offside power strokes"
MORE OFFSIDE POWER being the key words.

cbcboat · Post by **cbcboat** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:13 am

If he's right handed (paddles on the right) and is trying to go left, wouldn't it be more on-side power strokes, as offside (left side) would steer the boat to the right. I may be confused

My read is that you should start farther river right and angle the bow left and paddle across the grain (current), with some boat tilt towards river left.? Hopefully I'm not confused and this doesn't make me look like a dope.
If so I apologize.

B

yarnellboat · Post by **yarnellboat** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:42 am

cbcboat, we're thinking about this the same way - that he's paddling right and coming downstream, crossing the grain from R-to-L to avoid some holes -

But I'm thinking that with just power on the right, it'll be turning the boat off-line to the left (upstream), and in order to keep a line, he's probably using correction strokes- if he drags some stern correction, it'll pull him downstream, whereas if he corrects with offside power, he'll get where he's going.

Anyway, we're probably all dopes until/unless we get more info.

PY.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:50 am

yeah, Yarnell is exactly correct. Also, your tail often gets spun 'cause the front of the boat is in slower water than the back. to maintain any momentum, you need strokes on the left (and right), or you will float sideways like a canoeist

right into the meat of it. i work on this problem often.

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:01 am

from the limited info...???...it sounds like you're going downstream...

1) ... i'd say spin the boat around the best & quickest way you know how to; and

2) then ferry to whatever side of the river you want to go

just a guess...

but this is the best way to get somewhere, without going down stream... of course you could just back ferry; however if not in usual bag of tricks, it might not be the place to practice

keez · Post by **keez** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:25 pm

"i'd say spin the boat around the best & quickest way you know how to"

Philcanoes pretty much hit the nail on the head. Was taking a creeking course with Paul Mason and he was trying to get us to "cross the grain" R to L move to avoid a hole.
Despite everyone's best efforts the hole spanked us whenever our bows were pointed downstream.
When we swung our bows around and did an old fashioned ferry/crossed the grain, the hole did not become an issue.
I guess it's mental, we naturally want to see our adversary. I now turn my back and run.
Geoff

cbcboat · Post by **cbcboat** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:29 pm

If you just walked the rapid it would rid us of the confusion

B

eubie · Post by **eubie** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:08 pm

Thanks for all the help.

I was not trying to ferry, but that might have been the best move. I was bow downstream, trying to cross the current. The current just pushed my bow to the right and into the hole.

Wendy · Post by **Wendy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:10 pm

I can't figure out how to post the picture so here is the link to the rapid on the Ocoee in question:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... otoid_5849

Bob P · Post by **Bob P** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:22 pm

When I'm trying to keep my bow more-or-less pointing downstream, I use my onside to turn the boat just a little to the offside, then cross the paddle over and do forward/recovering-draw strokes on my offside.

C-Forum

Right-handed paddler needs help going left

Right-handed paddler needs help going left

Re: Right-handed paddler needs help going left

AW picture of Blue Hole Rapid