Time for another run of the Dee Bore, this time taking the Rockpool Taran 16 for a spin. My first time on the Dee in the T16.
While I’ve had my bum in the T18 for a few thousand hours now, my T16 experience is measured more in the hundreds. So it was time to get a better feel for the boat on the Dee Bore:
How would it do on the ‘Bridges Sprint’?
What about directional stability in the larger broken wave?
And importantly, how does it go when you need to ‘de-bongo’?!
The run starts as usual at Queensferry, but I don’t make it to The Cop today, losing the wave earlier at the corner by Saltney. But hey, knackered and smiling – that’ll do!
The T16 is a little shorter than my usual Taran 18 and handles a little differently at times when on a bore wave. Now and then it needs, and responds better to, a little more bow-trimming. Also the rudder needs to be brought ahead of the wave at times to prevent stalling, as the front edge of the bore goes from wave to wall.
It handled the rocks surprisingly well too…
So, want to get a feel for riding the bore? Here’s how it looks from the water – just watch out for those rocks!
by John Willacy