PaddleWise Discussion on Skegs vs Rudders




Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 19:28:05 -0500
From: "Robert Woodard" 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Rudder as Skeg

Is it possible to mount a rudder on a kayak and lock it so it cannot turn.
i.e. use it more like a skeg that you can flip up to the rear deck? Would it
function well for holding a kayak straight in quartering or following seas?

This is more a curious educational question than something I want to try.

Woody


Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 23:19:38 -0800 From: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Rudder as Skeg Feathercraft's Short Touring kayak, which is basically a whitewater boat that will not track at all, at one point came with a skeg that partially flipped up. It looked for all the world like a rudder but not steerable. It certainly straightened that boat out. I don't know, however, if the concept of something hanging back there like that would work for all boats. John Winters would know. He knows everything. :-) ralph diaz - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." - -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 12:36:11 -0500 From: Nick Schade Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Rudder as Skeg The advantage a under-hull mounted skeg has over a rudder is it is more likely to stay in the water in waves. The advantage a stern-hung "skeg" has over an under-hull, is since it is mounted farther back, it does not need to be as big to have the same effect. In other words a stern mounted flip-up skeg will be more effective than an under-hull mounted retractable skeg while it is in the water, but is more likely to come out of the water. A flip-up stern-mounted skeg would also be easier to construct than a retractable skeg mounted in a box under the hull. Nick
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 17:20:51 -0800 From: Wes Boyd Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Rudder as Skeg Nick Schade wrote: > > The advantage a under-hull mounted skeg has over a rudder is it is more > likely to stay in the water in waves. The advantage a stern-hung "skeg" has > over an under-hull, is since it is mounted farther back, it does not need > to be as big to have the same effect. In other words a stern mounted > flip-up skeg will be more effective than an under-hull mounted retractable > skeg while it is in the water, but is more likely to come out of the water. > > A flip-up stern-mounted skeg would also be easier to construct than a > retractable skeg mounted in a box under the hull. The problem is that the skeg mounts back on the end of the boat quite precariously. On the Vesper, especially, they expect it to be mounted with pop rivits, which pull out when there is even a slight amount of stress. I wound up having to build a backing plate, tap it, and screw bolts into it. Then, with it on, you have to be very careful about touching something with the back of the boat. No pool sessions, for example; might damage the skeg. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wes Boyd 0 http://www2.dmci.net/users/wesboyd/default.htm \_| http://www2.dmci.net/users/wesboyd/kayak.htm \----------\^----------/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^0^^^^^^^^^^^^