Risto,

I cracked my first Greenland Style paddle. I kept thinning the blades to make it lighter. Kind of experimentinting as to how thin I could make it. I had it very thin, I had removed the ridge all the way back to the loom. The paddle was a little oversized, too long and too wide. It weighed less than a Whetstone carbon fiber paddle, but I don't know the exact weight. I am guessing that I cracked it while attempting a screw roll. I started hearing the creaking noises after that, but other people had used my paddle That same day (R2K), so I don't know for certain. The crack was in the center of the blade. It is still strong in one direction, but don't want to use it for fear that it might fail when I need it. I have thought about repairing and glassing it, but may just clean it up, varnish it, and make it a decoration.

I made my new one a little bit stronger, but also shorter with narrower blades. I am beginning to like my new one as much as the old one. I think my paddling effort is actually less even though the paddle is slightly heavier. Cost is about $10 (plus some wonderful time spent with a block plane, spokeshave and croocked knife) for my paddles, so I am experimenting to get the optimum strength to weight ratio, and expect to break them occasionally. I figure I can get down around the same weight as a nice carbon fiber paddle, and have a lower swing weight, and still have a very strong Greenland style paddle.

Mike

: hi,

: Started wondering if paddles actually get broken other than when somebody
: accidentally steps on them in camp, or other dry accidents.

: So, has anybody been able to break his/her paddle by paddling? How did it
: happen? What material, weight, kind was the paddle in question?

: Rocks certainly, pushing off the bottom, could do it. But what about braces,
: stern rudders, or rolling?

: I thought I'd post this here, not on the techniques BB, since I guess it's to
: see if some paddle constructions are more vulnerable than others that I
: ask. After all, pretty much anything can be broken by stepping on it, if
: its lying on rocks.