: Are the hatch covers held with bungees? Do you trust them in rough
: water? Scary things can happen when a big wave dumps on you. I'm
: not sure I would trust it.

: Also- I like the comment that what seems fast isn't always ACTUALLY
: fast. How do you test this?

: m

Hi Mike, I never had an incident where a hatch popped. They are held down fairly snugly with the bungies. Some folk use internal bungies, I just prefer the ease of getting the hatches open and closed with the system I use here. Actually I don't really get water in at all. Sometimes I am surprised after a long downwind haul, with the bow going under from time to time, or in upwind chop with water coming over, how dry the fore hatches remain. I just use draughts excluder as a seal. I prefer the P sectioned stuff, as it compresses well while accommodating minor irregularities. I often considered magnets, but I just don't trust them not to corrode. I hate maintenance jobs. I'd rather be building another boat.

Regarding the speed. This is always a little subjective I suppose. I would need a gps to be exact, which I don't have. The way I measure is by doing my 12 km circuit around the local islands and timing myself launch to landing. I only time it on calm windless days and I try to maintain a cruising pace that I could manage if I were to be paddling all day long.

The Pole Dancer averages this circuit at 8.3kph. Just over 5mph. I havn't put the sheer water to this circuit yet, but I'm guessing it is going to come in around 7 or 7.5kph

I can't see the point in pushing beyond conversational cruising pace for establishing a cruising speed for a boat. If one is out with a group for an extended paddle it is nice to know what the real cruising speed of the boat is, and not the burn yourself out in a half hour speed. Usually there is not all that much between them I find, but then I am not as young or as fit as I once was.

The sensation of speed in a small car at sixty mph may be more than that of a large saloon which is going at 80 mph. I used to have an S class Mercedes that if I'd didn't use the cruise control I would always find myself speeding. It just didn't feel fast, but it was fast. It is the same with the boats. Sometimes a longer less agile boat just feels slower, but is in fact moving quite quickly.

In the end I would say that the boat that feels faster is probably more fun to paddle, even if it is slower. It is after all, all about sensation. If I am paddling with a young fit group though, I will take all the advantage I can get, and if I can tie a bucket to the back of the fastest paddler's boat without them realising it, I may to that too.

Et