Circles on an outside edge in the Capella - Lincoln Woods - August 20, 2022

Over the years I’ve heard people talk about leaning/healing/edging to the outside of a turn, but I never really knew what they were talking about. In whitewater paddling (canoe or kayak) leaning to the outside of the turn is a great way to end up in the drink – at least when crossing eddy lines. There is a freestyle canoeing move called a post that involves an outside edge heal, but I didn’t think that it was any more effective than its inside edge counterpart the axle, so I rarely did it. Like the bow pry/jam, it was something that I practiced, but didn’t really use in my day-to-day paddling. The only time I ever use an outside edge heal in my canoe is for a sideslip with a sculling draw.

After being out in the Capella a couple of times, I now know what they mean by edging to the outside of the turn. This boat absolutely responds to an outside edge heal. Raise the thigh and butt to the side that you want to turn (or drop the outside edge) and the boat will gradually turn in that direction. Add a forward sweep and the boat turns faster. Adjust the edging while paddling forward and you can make subtle turns without resorting to correction stokes.

Why does this work in a sea kayak? Sea kayaks are displacement hulls. Edging the boat changes the hull profile, releasing the stems, and moving the boat into an outside edge turn. Leaning slightly forward engages the bow in a carve and allows the stern to skid through the turn. It might have worked in my canoes if I gave it a chance, but the effect is much more pronounced in the Capella.

I went back to Lincoln Woods to practice some more outside edge turns. Before going I had practiced using the paddled as a brace on shore while getting in and getting out of the boat, and I was much more stable on the water. I set up the camera to do some off side edge circles. My edging technique needs work (I think the pegs are still too loose), but the boat definitely turns. There were times when I had locked in a good off side edge and I could feel the stern skidding through the turn. I also did some shoreline paddling using only forward strokes and outside edge turns to follow the shoreline.

I still get confused about which way to edge – raise the side in the direction that you want to go seems to be the easiest for me to remember. Its definitely not intuitive yet, and is the exact opposite of what I have always done, but I’ll get there eventually. Hopefully I won’t screw-up my whitewater boating in the process.

Circles on an outside edge in the Capella from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo

Back to Lincoln Woods – Wet Exits and Edging in the Capella – August 17, 2022

Bill in his P&H Ocra

My spray skirt came in yesterday, so I asked Bill to spot for me at Lincoln Woods while I did some wet exits. It turns out that swimming out of a canoe for years is good practice for doing wet exits in a kayak. I did one without the skirt, one with the skirt, and popped out both times. Bill said that I was out of the boat so fast that I didn’t even get one side of my body wet. A bit of an exaggeration, but I was out fast and I don’t like being upside-down in the water. I need to work on that if I am ever going to learn to roll.

Me in my P&H Capella

We did a leisurely paddle around Olney Pond and I tried to practice some edging. I used Bill’s bow to figure out where the secondary stability was, and tried paddling some circles on an outside edge – it worked.  I was able to paddle circles with sweep and forward strokes.  Even without paddling, the boat was turning away from the side that I edged – pretty cool.  Definitely going to take some practice for me to get used to these outside edge turns, but I am beginning to see where the skill in sea kayaking comes from.

Lincoln Woods with the Capella - August 16, 2022

I got out for my first trip in the Capella, and I think I made a good choice with this boat. It is stable, picks up speed fast, and is more maneuverable than the Perception that I paddled at the kayak class. I tried some edging, and it responded best when edged to the outside of the turn. With the skeg down it tracked straight as an arrow. I set the paddle at 210 cm with 0º feather, just like at the kayak class. The toughest thing about this boat is getting in and out (fell out twice - one getting in and once getting out), and I still need to practice wet exits.

Me in the P&H Capella 166 RM

My new sea kayak - P&H Capella 166 RM

Home with the boat on the car

With an arthritic knee that has me sitting more than kneeling, I decided to pull the trigger and buy a sea kayak that will allow me to get out on the ocean. If I am going to sit anyway, why not enjoy Rhode Island's beautiful coast.

Looking for a boat was a bit overwhelming at first. In order to paddle with the RICKA sea kayak crew, I knew that I needed a sea kayak that was 15' or longer with front and rear bulkheads and perimeter lines. That still left a lot of boats. My size did limit things a little. I decided that I wanted a plastic boat that would be suitable as a day-tripper. If I could play around in the rocks, or use it to do some camping, that would be good as well.

Checking it out - I fit!

I ended up buying a 2004 P&H Capella 166 RM from Charles River Canoe & Kayak. This boat was introduced in 1996 and developed a reputation as one of the best plastic sea kayaks around. It is known as a mid-sized boat that turns and tracks well, and is suitable for "big guys". Spec’s for the Capella 166 RM are:

• Length: 16’6”
• Width: 22”
• Depth: 14”
• Rear hatch: 18” x 13”
• Front hatch: 10”
• Day hatch: 8”
• Cockpit: 34” x 20", circumference 88" 
• Material: rotationally molded polyethylene (RM)
• Weight: 54 lbs.

Cockpit with new thigh braces

Once I decided on the boat, I needed to get a paddle. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but figured I would go with Werner since that is the brand that I use in my canoes. I ended up with the adjustable version of the Shuna, that way I can play around with the length (200-220 cm) and feathering (0-45º). Once I figure out what I like, I’ll probably get a one piece paddle and use this as my spare.

Finding a skirt to fit this boat wasn’t easy either. The boat has a relatively large cockpit, and I have a relatively large belly. I knew that I wanted neoprene, so I ordered a base level bungee spray skirt – the Shockwave from Immersion Research. At some point, maybe I’ll get a custom order from Seals Skirts from Oak Orchard in New York.

2004 P&H Capella 166 RM

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