Yesterday was a bust. Ended up doing not much of anything,,,,
I did build a wobble board, something I have been meaning to do for awhile, and I spent several sessions on it. Interestingly enough, I found the same thing I found on whitewater: I do better after a drink or two. Not enough to get drunk, just enough to slow my brain down some.
Now this wobble board is as hob-knobbed as you can ask for. I took the seat pan from an old Jackson kayak (thanks Bruce) attached it to a board and attached that to a balance board on one end and a rocker board on the other. It ain’t pretty, but its solid and it responds to hip movements very well. If I make a more permanent version, I want to add a foot board and possibly thigh straps to emulate the thigh hooks we have in our boats. Not having them though, I noted that I am holding my legs higher and closer to center just like I have to do in Lizzy,,,, Maybe there is a reason Valley made their boats that way,,,, And the insides of my thighs are feeling it right now. With no support points, the muscles were holding the position and they are telling me all about how abusive I am right now. I’m not complaining (much) since pain now means less later, and that pain is training my legs for what they need in Lizzy. And training my brain for that ‘tippy as an un-spun top’ that Lizzy and Duh!kee are. I have to get used to them, and while I know that when the water starts to go vertical, I settle in; around here, that is NOT the norm. Some chop and that helps me settle in, but mostly,,, Hell, you’ve seen it in most of my pics, GLASS is the norm on the lakes around here, unless you hit the main channel of Cumberland Lake near Jamestown. (two+ hour drive for me,,, but when I can, fun as hell)
But I got to thinking about hull shape and stability: Side by side, BlueJean and Lizzy look almost identical at the center hull, but BlueJean is rock stable in ANYTHING, flat glass, chop, standing waves, name it and she handles it. SO, Why is Lizzy so tippy feeling in the flat? I think it has a lot to do with the rocker that BJ has, which is not as prominent in Lizzy. BUT, Lizzy is (much) faster because she doesn’t have that pronounced rocker (and she does have an extended perma-skeg so tracks like a missile.)
Anywhooos, its Domestics day, deal with laundry, set up Da’s meds for the week and take care of some other trifles, then, no more excuses, headed to the lake and doing SOMETHING, hipsnaps using the paddle float, or just get out and FORCE myself to do a distance paddle. Get some seat time in. Going solo sucks, but NOT going at all eats me alive, and that’s worse.
