: What are you packing nowadays? I'm guessing you don't go for
: anything fancy- maybe a Browning 9mm? I grew up in Michigan's
: Thumb. When you said you were packing there, it meant you were
: working at the Vlasic plant packing pickles.

: Thanks for the input. I have to think way too much using a
: feathered paddle. Particularly when paddling backwards. Today I
: gave up the feathered paddle for a 0* Malone that weighted a
: ton. It's owner said he heated the center enough to make the
: epoxy soft and bent it from 45* feather to 0. I don't know if
: I'd try that unless I had either plenty of paddles or plenty of
: money. In either case, I probably wouldn't be posting about
: making whatever I can get my hands on work...

: m

Hi Mike,

LOL...um...packing, like cardboard boxes and U-haul vans :)

From what I've been told, most commercial paddles are assembled with a thermoset resin, so it softens with heat but reforms to it's original strength when it cools. Makes for easier assembly and easier repairs to damaged paddles.

So heating them to reset the angle doesn't hurt anything, btw, most WW paddles have much less offset than touring paddles, the ones I've seen/used seem to run from a maximum of about 45 degrees to a more normal 30 degrees. With my Waterstick the blades are fairly huge, so some offset helps in flat sections of the rivers when the wind is up. This is assuming I actually get into the WW boat, not used it in at least a year maybe two.

Bill H.