Hi René

Thanks for your response.

Actually, I hadn’t associated my backaches with the Distance as such. I simply thought of it as a question of insufficient training or insufficient technique

I have always found the Distance very responsive to edging, and hence quite manoeuvrable, but that has always been unloaded and in fairly calm waters. This journey is the first time I have had a loaded kayak in such waves for extended periods.

One thing I do know is that it has been hard work handling the Distance in difficult waves.

I have mostly tried to do course corrections using the techniques I have used all the time in the Distance, that is, by edging. In calm waters its quite efficient and easy, but in high waves or side waves it often has very little if any effect. On the other hand, sometimes it does exactly what I wanted. I haven’t been able to figure out why it sometimes worked but mostly not.

I have tried to avoid using sweep strokes excessively because I knew it would kill my arms and shoulders.

The lee-cocking issue hasn’t affected me. I experienced it once in Sweden, but down here the Distance has weathercocked as expected. When I have been too tired to keep it on course, I have in fact let it go downwind by itself, and then turned it upwind by raising the skeg. In essence a simple way of giving the sore muscles a break.

I can assure you that I’m careful with my back. I know how painful back problems can be.