: Hello,

: Can anyone here who has built a Petrel and fitted a skeg recommend
: one. The one I was hoping to fit needs a clearance of 20cm (7
: 7/8" for you guys across the pond). The form behind the
: seat is roughly 18cm (7") narrowing to 16cm (6"). Any
: purists out there will probably say build one, but after all
: this building I just really want to fit one and get on with
: paddling the thing.

I'm about to be in the same situation, needing a skeg for my Njord build. From my research it seems that the two most economical options for commercial skeg kits are from KajakSport and Kari-Tek (a little over $100?). For a bit more money ($200+/-) there's the Superior Kayak kit, which looks nice and with a sleek housing. The ultimate ($300) is from ONNO, handmade from carbon fiber.

I would be interested in any feedback about the cheaper options, since I'm on a tight budget. The pictures on the web don't show much detail so it's hard to tell much. The housings look a little clunkier and the blades are made of plastic, I believe. Maybe the Superior one would be worth the extra $$... I don't know. I can't afford the ONNO, it would cost half as much as the rest of the boat!