: Hello All,
: I am nearing the end of my wooden Euro paddle project made with the
: plans from Nick's book, however, I have decided to use a carbon
: ferrule. I am right handed and before attaching the ferrule, how
: do I orient the holes in the ferrule for feathering?

For right hand control, ie. if the shaft stays anchored with your right hand, and rotates in your left hand, my suggestion is as follows:

Grip the shaft with your right hand in normal paddling position, with the right blade properly oriented for a paddle stroke. Maintain your grip on the right shaft, and lift your right hand exactly as you would to make a paddle stroke with your left paddle blade. With your right wrist straight, now turn the left half of the shaft until the left blade is properly oriented for a left blade paddle stroke. This will give you a feather angle that will minimize flexing of the right wrist which is the main cause of right arm issues. Typically, this will result in something between 30 and 45 or so degrees of feather for a somewhat low paddle stroke which is efficient for relaxed longer distance touring.

On my Euro paddle, I find a 30 degree feather just about perfect for the stroke that I use. In my opinion, the key is to adjust the feather for your specific stroke style so that the control wrist stays relaxed and straight throughout the entire stroke sequence.

If I were you, I would actually try the paddle on the water by taping the ferrule in the position that you think will work. It will likely be a bit tricky to get the angle right until you actually see how the paddle behaves in the water. A Euro design blade will tend to self orient during the paddle stroke, so it will be important to check that your assumed orientation is correct before drilling.

Good luck

Allan Edie