13-04-10, 09:55 PM
Ok, I know I managed to pin my boat and it yes was an error of judgement on my behalf 
. So with that out of the way we can now discuss the nitty gritty of what happened and why, also what my options were at the time.
The place was the Matlock Slalom site, I was in an eddy downstream river right just after what I am told is “killer Rock” the object was for me to power up through the eddy hit the standing wave and ferry glide above “Killer Rock” by surfing the wave at an angle.
On Saturday we were nailing it, albeit with various degrees of style but doing it all the same. Sunday came and the river had dropped, dropped enough to have a boulder in the way of our line so to speak. This posed a dilemma, which side of the boulder do I take the boat. I paddled hard along the eddy line and hit the wave that was mistake number one I hadn’t gained enough speed to carry me across. Mistake number two was to fail to edge the boat enough. Wham! The water flow hit the side of my boat pulling it down, looking at Niges photo’s it looked like I had thrown my weight to try to counter balance the force as I would have done in my Prospector. This failed and I was swimming in a fast flowing river with a chuffing big boulder just downstream from me.
![[Image: matl012.jpg]](http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/Tarmacsoftee/Matlock%20WW/matl012.jpg)
Had I thought about this It may have been scary but as it was so quick I just ejected and pushed my way out my boat missing the boulder completely. I emerged unscathed holding Heathers expensive carbon fibre paddle which I wasn’t going to lose. The boat as you can see is well and truly pinned by the current,
![[Image: matl013.jpg]](http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/Tarmacsoftee/Matlock%20WW/matl013.jpg)
it took both Heather and I to free it.
![[Image: matl019.jpg]](http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/Tarmacsoftee/Matlock%20WW/matl019.jpg)
After emptying the boat I was determined to climb back on the horse so to speak, off I went. Did I do it? I’ll tell you at the end of this passage.........
A quick note here my WW canoe is fitted with a saddle and straps, although the straps sound daunting I was able to fall out with ease, nothing to entrap me, had I been paddling my Prospector kneeling with my feet under the seat the outcome may have been rather different.
Lessons I have learnt, water levels no matter how small can change the characteristic of a rapid and this one was to expose the boulder making us choose another approach line, so look at all of the options not just the first one that springs to mind.
Acceleration/speed, you have to get this right the eddy line acted like a brake and I ended up with my paddle in the fast flowing river losing power in doing so.
Edging the boat, this for me will take a bit more practice, this I intend to do. Had I edged the boat more the wave would have hit the bottom of the boat not the side and in turn not tipped me in, I may have escaped a dunking although the manoeuvre would have been sloppy at best.
Another thing for me to master would be a “cross deck power stroke” for want of a better name for it. This stroke would enable me to put paddle to water on my off side and keep the momentum up if there was an obstruction such as a rock or shallow water on my paddle side.
Ok now I attempted the manoeuvre again this time a bit more wary (as you can imagine) I first did a recce so I was sure I could have enough water for my paddle (a wise move methinks), I then gunned my red boat (there, you see, if it were a green boat none of this would have happened!) towards the wave.....BAM I hit it and the wave took me across the river, success!
In a way I am glad that this has happened as it has highlighted skills that I need to polish.
Please feel free to comment; this thread as it is not only help me but to bring into light my findings so others may learn from it. With this in mind make them constructive.
Trip tale for the rest of the weekend to follow........... Episode three of the Lamb Saga!
Cheers
Tim
. So with that out of the way we can now discuss the nitty gritty of what happened and why, also what my options were at the time.The place was the Matlock Slalom site, I was in an eddy downstream river right just after what I am told is “killer Rock” the object was for me to power up through the eddy hit the standing wave and ferry glide above “Killer Rock” by surfing the wave at an angle.
On Saturday we were nailing it, albeit with various degrees of style but doing it all the same. Sunday came and the river had dropped, dropped enough to have a boulder in the way of our line so to speak. This posed a dilemma, which side of the boulder do I take the boat. I paddled hard along the eddy line and hit the wave that was mistake number one I hadn’t gained enough speed to carry me across. Mistake number two was to fail to edge the boat enough. Wham! The water flow hit the side of my boat pulling it down, looking at Niges photo’s it looked like I had thrown my weight to try to counter balance the force as I would have done in my Prospector. This failed and I was swimming in a fast flowing river with a chuffing big boulder just downstream from me.
Had I thought about this It may have been scary but as it was so quick I just ejected and pushed my way out my boat missing the boulder completely. I emerged unscathed holding Heathers expensive carbon fibre paddle which I wasn’t going to lose. The boat as you can see is well and truly pinned by the current,
it took both Heather and I to free it.
After emptying the boat I was determined to climb back on the horse so to speak, off I went. Did I do it? I’ll tell you at the end of this passage.........
A quick note here my WW canoe is fitted with a saddle and straps, although the straps sound daunting I was able to fall out with ease, nothing to entrap me, had I been paddling my Prospector kneeling with my feet under the seat the outcome may have been rather different.
Lessons I have learnt, water levels no matter how small can change the characteristic of a rapid and this one was to expose the boulder making us choose another approach line, so look at all of the options not just the first one that springs to mind.
Acceleration/speed, you have to get this right the eddy line acted like a brake and I ended up with my paddle in the fast flowing river losing power in doing so.
Edging the boat, this for me will take a bit more practice, this I intend to do. Had I edged the boat more the wave would have hit the bottom of the boat not the side and in turn not tipped me in, I may have escaped a dunking although the manoeuvre would have been sloppy at best.
Another thing for me to master would be a “cross deck power stroke” for want of a better name for it. This stroke would enable me to put paddle to water on my off side and keep the momentum up if there was an obstruction such as a rock or shallow water on my paddle side.
Ok now I attempted the manoeuvre again this time a bit more wary (as you can imagine) I first did a recce so I was sure I could have enough water for my paddle (a wise move methinks), I then gunned my red boat (there, you see, if it were a green boat none of this would have happened!) towards the wave.....BAM I hit it and the wave took me across the river, success!
In a way I am glad that this has happened as it has highlighted skills that I need to polish.
Please feel free to comment; this thread as it is not only help me but to bring into light my findings so others may learn from it. With this in mind make them constructive.
Trip tale for the rest of the weekend to follow........... Episode three of the Lamb Saga!
Cheers
Tim
.
While the removal of a beer belly might help it may take more than that as I have not got a belly and I cannot achieve anywhere near as much rotation as she can 