"BCITORGB" wrote in message
ups.com...
Wolfgang says:
==============
In theory, this means anyone soloing
from the back seat would have less affect on trim than in a canoe, and
it
should be easier to balance. Unfortunately, the other seat is also
closer
to center which means it would take more weight to counterbalance
there. On
the other hand, if there is a forward hatch or some other way to get
weight
up near the bow, it would take considerably less to do the job.
===============

Wolfgang, that was pretty much my thinking as well, but I thought,
given the wealth of experience around this forum, that I'd ask.

It would be just like me to have given this a theoretical one-over,
only to have missed some fairly obvious practical variables. As a
lifetime klutz, I speak from experience. If it can be screwed up, I'll
be the one to do it (reality NEVER correlates with my abstractions!).



One problem you'll have from sitting in the stern and putting weight in the
bow, wilf, is that your boat will be a lot harder to turn. Normally, the bow
paddler turns the front of the boat for you, so you will definately notice
their absence if you replace them with a rock or two.

The reason that solo boats tend to have the paddler in the middle (or just a
tiny bit astern) is that you can pivot the boat around the center of gravity
(your butt) with wide, circular sweeping strokes. However, if you sit in the
stern seat and put enough weight in the bow seat to keep the vessel trim,
you are too far behind the center of gravity to effectively rotate the boat
with paddling strokes. Instead, your turns tend to be 'driving strokes' as
you drive around a circle, or relatively inefficient draw strokes as you
drag the butt end of your boat around the center of gravity. Fine enough in
a lake, if you don't mind adding a few dozen yards and strokes to all of
your changes of direction, but very difficult to manage in a moving river,
where you often want to realign your boat direction without actually
changing the drift you are on.

In canoes, Wolfie, its pretty common (assuming the style of seat allows it)
to turn the boat around and sit in the 'bow seat', as this puts your body
closer to the center of the boat. Often, this maintains the proper trim by
itself, without having to add a load in the bow. Similarly, when loading
canoes for trips, you tend to put the heavier gear in the center of the boat
(water bottles, beer, pots and pans) and the lighter stuff (duffel, trash
bags, empty coffee pots) out near the ends, as they won't effect your
ability to pivot so much.

--riverman