: When considering the addition of a skeg, it will help with
: tracking, but:

: How much drag does it produce when it's down?

: In choppy conditions, how often is the skeg out of the water and
: not doing any good?

: When the skeg is retracted, how much drag does the open slot in the
: hull produce?

: What is the best way to minimize these effects?

: m

Hi Mike,
The only skeg I have is on my plastic yak, the SoF's don't need one. (The greenland one tracks too well already, the baidarka changes trim with just sliding back or forward in the cockpit. I sit directly on the ribs with minimal padding.)
The skeg slot on the plastic is fairly big (probably similar to Etienne's Exploorer) and I've been thinking of using some minicel to make some gaskets to give a smoother keel-line. If the gaskets are tapered to where they contact the skeg, they should let the skeg drop easily yet 'seal' the box/slot when up.

Allowing for the wide slot, I haven't noticed any speed/drag difference, skeg up or down. Handling does change whenever I do use the skeg. Mostly, I just balance what I chuck into the fore and aft storage to give a slight weathercocking and edge a bit to make any balance changes.

Mike Savage
South West Cork