I loaned my VCP Avocet RM to a buddy. He bent the skeg cable. So, in replacing the skeg cable, I decided to build a nicer skeg. The stock skeg was some sort of stiff (PP or PVC) plastic, 1/4" thick, rounded over edges, but flat in cross-section. When I fixed my friend's old VCP Selkie, I noticed it had a foil-shaped glass blade. I can do that! The new skeg is white HDPP, 1/2" thick. Cut profile to match existing. Leading edge rounded over to 3/8" back from edge. Trailing edge is cut to a fine taper about 1 1/2" back from the edge. As good of foil shape as I could cut with a block plane. There were two rubber spacers which centered the old skeg in the skeg box. These were removed to make room for the new, wider skeg. Photo shows: (top left) Original skeg (lower left) New skeg (center) Deployed new skeg showing cross section shape (right) Left, old skeg thickness; Right, new skeg in box, twice as thick. After using this skeg last night, it was a lot less noisy when deployed. It also seemed to have less drag, but that is what I was expecting, so this is a pretty subjective measurement. I know with the old skeg, when I was cruising and dropped it quickly, I felt like I hit the brakes...quantitative tests say you gain up to 10% more drag with a skeg deployed. The new one "feels" like less than 5. It used to be susceptible to 1/4" - 3/8" gravel. Guess now I'm susceptible to -1/8" gravel! Shawn http://www.swankenterprises.com/shawn/newskeg.jpg __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jul 11 2003 - 12:33:21 PDT
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