Angus Rowboats support forum » Boat Performance & Testing
Tracking in various conditions?
(3 posts)-
The Expedition certainly looks impressive, but keep wondering how well she tracks depending on sidewinds and fore and aft trim. How does she behave without cargo in the forward compartment? Is there any need for ballast?
J
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For anyone who has had the experience of paddling solo from the stern of a round-bottomed canoe, you will know how frustrating crosswinds combined with bad tracking can be. When we first constructed these boats, we thought it might be necessary to install a full-length keel strip to ensure good tracking.
After trialling them in different wind and wave conditions we were pleasantly surprised at how well the boats tracked and realized they wouldn't require a skeg or keel strip. The bottom of the ExpeditionRowboat is flat, meaning that that the angle of the first chine presents significant lateral resistance to the water along the length of the boat. In other words, if you try pushing an Expedition sideways in the water, you will feel much more resistance than with a round bottomed boat without a keel or skeg. Another factor that helps with tracking is the boats have very moderate rocker (about 1.5" at each end).
The boats are designed to carry a load, and offer peak performance when carrying gear in the forward compartments. Having said that, they track and function very well with no load whatsoever (the blue boat pictured on the home page is empty), and installing ballast would not normally be necessary. If you will be encountering strong wind and waves, I would adjusting the trim using ballast (some gear you might need, or a container of water) - secured or wedged into place and as low as possible.
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Thanks. I will find out soon enough how well it tracks... Now I have sent you an order for plans to build my own:)
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