I made the skeg plate from 4 mm plywood and laminated it with carbon
fiber. The wood core allows the skeg to float. The straps are 3/4 inches
wide and have side release buckles. One of the straps is positioned
against deck fittings to keep the straps from
sliding
backwards.
This
skeg
design
works best
on
four-panel hulls.
The skeg in the fully deployed position.
The skeg is close enough to the cockpit for me to adjust it myself.
However, the skeg has to be strapped on while on land or by another
kayaker on the water. Because the skeg is not parallel
to
the keel,
there is a slight ruddering effect, which makes deploying it on the
weather side necessary.
Since these photos were taken, I've drilled a hole in the top center
of the skeg plate and through it knotted a short loop of 3mm
line to make adjusting the skeg easier from the cockpit.
