gps?

[gstamer]

Actually, according to the rules (that I found), the length to beam ratio for class 1 cannot be more than 10.99 (I assume that means at the 4-inch waterline as per Sound Rower’s rules). That rule knocks out the Epic 18X for class 1, but not the 18X Sport. I have an 18X (actually the Ultra lay-up) and a QCC700X. Or do they make an exception for the 18X because it’s really not a high-performance racing kayak like the West Side T-Rex?

-Leon

Leon,

I asked "Chief" (Steve Issac) about this when I was deciding on a class and he told me that the 18X can be used for either class one or class two (no sails allowed for class two). I'm not sure of the fine details but what according to the "Prime Directive", what the Chief says is the final word!

This was my first watertribe event and I enjoyed it. I look forward to competing again next year.

Best,

Greg

[bob budd]

In case you haven't already tried this path the vendours often have FAQ pages, blogs, and e-mail based Q&A that might not be as fun as a message board but may provide the answers you seek.

[leong]

In case you haven't already tried this path the vendours often have FAQ pages, blogs, and e-mail based Q&A that might not be as fun as a message board but may provide the answers you seek.

Thanks, Bob; I might try you recommendations for other problems.

Separately, I got the GPS “Route” options working today while on Salem Bay (with lots of help from my training partner). Unfortunately, the route didn't really work. From a few miles away in Beverly I started a route to Ram Island and then to Manchester Harbor (with a switch waypoint distance of 0.2 miles). About a mile from Ram the GPS began leading me into the harbor. Don’t know why because the waypoints are accurate (set them months ago as current positions). Perhaps the distance calculation has an error. Or perhaps my GPS was thinking that some dummy paddler was heading back to his car in the harbor, so why should I route him to Ram island first.

-Leon

[lhunt]

We also discovered that the route's current "find" pointer line doesn't appear on the map page for either GPS type, only on the compass page. I didn't remember that from before. Do you use the compass page to navigate? I think given that I prefer navigating by track. At least you can see where you are. Still going to play with it, though, when I get some more time.

-Lisa

[gstamer]

When I follow a route on my GPSMap78, I usually keep it on the map page. On my unit I see the line of the route, and my current position, so it's easy to navigate. At times I use compass page for following a route, but the GPS sometimes tells you to swing hard left and right when near a leg, even though your final destination is miles away, which can cause confusion.

Greg

[lhunt]

Hmm... On the map page, do you see a line from your current position to the next waypoint on the route (similar to doing a "find"?) If so, there must be a setting I'm missing. If not, it seems pretty similar to navigating following a track, in that if you drift far enough away from the route it will be off the map page, requiring a stop to zoom out.

-Lisa

[gstamer]

Lisa,

Yes, on my GPSMap78 I see a thin line from my current position to the next leg of the route. This line changes as soon as I reach the leg, to point to the next leg closer to the destination. Also, superimposed on the chart, I see a line for the route itself, that bisects each leg of the route.

I usually have this page displayed, along with my speed and distance to destination or heart-rate at the top of the screen, in the optional data fields (some of the newer Garmin units will pair to your ANT heart-rate strap to record heart-rate).

Best,

Greg

[leong]

Hmm, only once did I plan to use my old Garmin Etrex GPS for the 2006 Blackburn Challenge that was held on a very foggy day (as it turned out, the ocean part of the race was cancelled as ordered by the coast guard). Anyway, in anticipation of the race I entered about 10 waypoints into an old GPS. Earlier testing demonstrated that setting a route defined by the 10 waypoints didn’t work (or I didn’t know what I was doing) so I had planned to manually change waypoints after reaching each one.

Okay, today, I tried a GPS route again with Etrex Venture (a newer GPS). The same problem on Salem Sound that occurred yesterday on the sound (and reported in a prior post); i.e. the first waypoint was skipped and the GPS aimed at the second (last) waypoint. After fooling around a lot today I realized that my GPS was working backwards. That is, if my intent is to go from A – B – C - D (in that exact order), it’s necessary to enter the waypoints in the reverse order (D – C – B – A). I don’t understand why this is so, but I can live with it.

So after reversing the waypoints, my GPS nicely took me to waypoint A. But no matter how much paddling I did around the location of the first waypoint, the GPS wouldn’t transfer to the next waypoint. I played with the options (set distance to 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2 miles) but none of the distances worked. So I switched the option to “Automatic” and that didn’t work as well.

Conclusion: Routes don’t work with my Garmin Venture or I’m doing something stupid (it won’t be the first time).

-Leon

PS
Greg, you might be interested in this:

The “Epic 18X exception” was made for (at least) three races that I now know about: Everglades Challenge, Blackburn Challenge and NYC Mayor’s Cup.

When the Blackburn Challenge race committee adopted the Sound Rower rules I was about to buy a faster kayak (I’ve paddled that race every year since about 1998). Because of the new rules I ruled out the 18X because its length to width ratio placed it into the High Performance Kayak (HPK) class and that would mean that I’d be competing the 18X against the much fastest surfskis and high performance kayaks. So I bought the Seda Impulse which was well within the “Fast Sea Kayak” (FSK) class. But surprisingly, the Blackburn folks allowed the 18X in the FSK class. I argued to the committee that they had every right to allow the 18X in the FSK class, but not the right to say they were using Sound Rower rules. Eventually, the committee came to their senses and adjusted the class length to width interval limits saying that they were using “modified” Sound Rower rules. Shortly after, I bought my 18X.

A similar situation occurred when I entered the NYC Mayor’s Cup race, which also used the Sound Rower rules. I entered with my Seda Impulse in the FSK class. As with the Blackburn Challenge, I noticed that many 18X’s were entered in the FSK class. I told Ray Fusco, the race director, that the 18X belonged in the HPK class per the Sound Rower rules. He insisted that the 18X’s length to width ratio was within the FSK class. When I proved otherwise he essentially shrugged it off and said he was willing to advertise Sound Rower rules but override them at his discretion. I used my new Epic 18X in the race the following year.

Cheers,

-Leon

[lhunt]

...Yes, on my GPSMap78 I see a thin line from my current position to the next leg of the route...

Thanks, Greg. Looks like the GPSMap78 has genuinely new software. Fascinating. Now you've got me coveting yet another gadget :-)

Edited July 5, 2013 by LHuntington

[gstamer]

Leon,

Thanks for that information on the 18X. Class 2 in the Watertribe races has often been used for kayakers who don't want to carry a sail, although some true HPKs do compete in that class. Carter Johnson used a customized Huki surf ski (with hatches for storing the necessary camping gear), and Ardie Olson has the current class 2 record (Everglades Challenge) using a Ruahine ocean x http://www.ruahinekayaks.co.nz/kayaks/oceanx.html .

Nick Schade and others have suggested that for these ultra-long races, that a shorter hull that is easier to drive at 4.5 - 5.5 mph might prove faster in the long-run, since any record will usually involve paddling 20 hours or more per day (conditions permitting), and the "secret" is often just to "keep the boat moving".

Best,

Greg

[leong]

Nick Schade and others have suggested that for these ultra-long races, that a shorter hull that is easier to drive at 4.5 - 5.5 mph might prove faster in the long-run, since any record will usually involve paddling 20 hours or more per day (conditions permitting), and the "secret" is often just to "keep the boat moving".

I used similar reasoning when I bought the Seda Impulse for the Blackburn Challenge (about a 20-mile mostly open ocean race). The longer Seda Glider had the largest waterline length to width ratio of any FSK (using Sound River rules) stock sea kayak and was considered to be the fastest. It has a higher “hull speed” than the shorter Impulse. But, after borrowing a Glider and doing a test run around Cape Ann I soon realized that I didn’t have the endurance to paddle the Glider at near its hull speed for most of the 20-mile distance. The Impulse’s waterline length is about a foot shorter, but it has a commensurately lower wetted surface area. So I chose the Impulse for its lower frictional resistance that would be needed for a 20-mile race.

Besides Nick’s suggestion, there are two other considerations I use for choosing a boat for a race: ergonomics and handling characteristics. I discovered these the hard way in the Mayor’s Cup race the time when I used my Epic 18X. The first half of the race was in benign water and the tippyness of my 18X wasn’t a problem. In fact, I was with the leading three for most of that race. That is, until I hit the rough section called Hell Gate. There I had to spend most of my energy bracing to stay upright. My position went down hill real fast. Luckily, once back in the calm water, I did eventually catch up to most of the competitors that had passed me while in Hell Gate. In hindsight, I think that I would have done much better in the Impulse because it’s much easier to handle in rough water. Also, the Impulse has a more comfortable seat, especially for sitting almost 5 hours for a 29-mile race.

Here’s a way to game a given distance race if you have several kayaks to choose from. Say you know what your average power, say P, will be for the race. So, using a speed vs. drag model (such as John Winter’s KAPER model), choose that kayak that has the highest speed corresponding to power P. Of course, this disregards the ergonomics and handling of the various candidate kayaks.

[Dabend]

It may not be great for racing, but any Garmin Foretrex works great. Straps to your wrist like a watch, waterproof, easy to read. I love it. Does not have graphic maps on it which may be a problem for you but otherwise it works great.

David