Macclesfield Canal - 22nd May 2009

Clarke Lane to High Poynton Marina and back.

Finally got the new boat (Epic 18X) on the water. Noticeably fast than the Capella. Using the GPS it was cruising at 5.2-5.5mph and could get it up to over 6mph. This is compared to the Capella that cruised at under 5 and felt disproportionately hard work to get it to go much faster. On the way out I stopped to chat to Neil from the Macc CC which must have been for a few minutes, but still broke the hour. On the way back on a timed run I was just under 56 minutes. So although on shorter sections I was over 10% faster than the Capella, this wasn't reflected in a longer run.

Handling of the boat was interesting. Although it has a rudder I didn't really need it because the boat responds well to leaning. I need to tune the seat/footrest position as they are slightly far apart. I'm not used to having both adjustable. I also need to tweak the rudder cables - bit slack.

I'm using the new wing paddles and still getting used to them. I think my speed varies a lot depending how efficiently I'm paddling. A smoother stroke that makes less splash seems to make the boat go faster. I'm also trying to get a smooth "catch" - the initial placement of the blade in the water - again it seems to respond to a slightly deeper stab than I normally do. Trouble is keeping up good style over a long period. I need some coaching from the Macc CC marathon paddlers...