: Had a really odd idea whilst reading this discussion. What if you built the
: retractable skeg so that it didn't just drop/rotate VERTICALLY from it's
: housing, but also/instead slid BACKWARD?

: Imagine the ubiquitous utility knife with retractable blade. Now mount this
: in a highly rockered stern, perhaps with the top of the slot at or even
: slightly above waterline. Skeg slides out sternward. The skeg wouldn't be
: as deep in the water as with a drop-down style, but the center of pressure
: would move farther back as the skeg extended, thus increasing the lever
: arm for it to work with. Also, the aft-facing slot might be less likely to
: collect sand/pebbles during beach landings?

: Don't know how practical this would be. Might have deployment or durability
: problems. But it might work.

: Val

Val, you shouldn't get me to thinking. My $10+$5 shipping for my retractable skeg plans may be useless. I would worry about a skeg sliding on a track as perhaps getting jammed with dirt like a sliding door. But what I am thinking now using the shape you of the skeg you put into my head, is buying a piece of strap aluminum, perhaps 1/8"x3"x3'long that pivits on one end exposing part or all of the 3" at the stern end. Ripping a 1/4" slot in a 1x4x3' board for the aluminum skeg housing, with a rising stack at the stern end for a wire to run out of to lift and lower the skeg.