: Hi All-

: To you designey types- What effect does the fore/aft position of a skeg on
: the hull have on performance?

: m

The primary reason to add a skeg is to eliminate weathercocking. If you add a fixed skeg for tracking without regard for weather or lee cocking you will curse the day you get into a nasty crosswind (unless you are just lucky and the size happens to work out). The trick is to install a generous sized fixed skeg to cause your weathercocking kayak to leecocking, then file it smaller through trial and error (without cargo) in crosswind test paddling until the kayak is wind neutral. Skegs have more directional effect when mounted near the stern and will therefore be smaller to trim (wind balance) the kayak. They also suffer less damage back there during launches and landings than when they are larger and closer to the cockpit. Skegs also anchor the stern in following seas. Ask any open water kayaker with a deployable skeg. They also make a kayak harder to turn. However that is a small price compared to paddling a weathercocking kayak in a crosswind.

A deployable skeg (on a weathercocking kayak) will allow to trim your kayak to weathercock when paddling into the wind, lee cock when paddling downwind and be neutral when paddling in a crosswind. It will also allow you to trim on the fly for a kayak that has been loaded out of trim with cargo. They do have moving parts that require repair and maintenance. They also jam on sandy beaches.