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On 1-Jul-2004, (Alex Horvath) wrote:

The bigger problem I have had is turning upwind in 25+ mph winds.[...]

I later realized that had my kayak unintentionally turned around while
I was holding position, the probability that I would safely get it
turned back around into the wind was about zero.

If you've got room, this is where weathercocking works wonders. Just
raise your skeg/rudder and let the kayak swing into the wind as you
paddle forward.

One trick is to paddle backwards and swing into line with the wind.
I tried this once when I was quite sloppy about loading and the kayak
was leecocking. It took a few of tries, but eventually worked.

Another trick is to drop your towline in the water on the windward side.
It will act as a drogue and swing your stern around. Once aligned, reel
it in so that you can reduce drag. By tossing in the water on the windward
side, the line will run downwind from the stern and maximize the turning
moment.

If edging away from the wind is risky due to waves, just edge into the
wind. Not as efficient at aiding turning, but better than staying level.

Mike