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/ ***************************************************************************
HDPP = High Density PolyPropylene. HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) is more common...but the HDPP was free! Shawn --- Jim Tynan <kayakbound_at_charter.net> wrote: > Shawn > > What's HDDP? > > -----Original Message----- Shawn Baker wrote: > The new skeg is white HDPP, 1/2" thick. __________________________________ 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/ ***************************************************************************
The existing skeg had three holes drilled into the skeg for the cable connection. One 1/4" hole about 3/4" in from the "peak" of the skeg. The other two were 1/8" holes that intersected at about a 30* angle, and at the bigger hole. The skeg cable is shoved into its hole, and into the bigger hole. A SS machine bolt is run into the second 1/8" hole so that it intersects and crimps the cable at the 1/4" hole. Let's see if I can ASCII art this: Skeg Cable V ________________||____ || \ <---- Bolt goes here || //\ || // \ Bolt crimps _|| // \ cable here----> / //V/ \ \_V_/ \ \ --- Riverpaddle_at_aol.com wrote: > I was wondering how you adhered the skeg cable to the new skeg? > Drilled your > hole, stuck in the cable, melted the material to the cable? __________________________________ 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/ ***************************************************************************
Shawn Baker wrote: > 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. I read once that the effect of fairing is such that *for aircraft* a 1-inch round strut has as much drag as a 12-inch perfectly faired strut. Even if that is an exageration, there should still be a significant improvement from fairing anything that started with square corners. GaryJ *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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