RE: [Paddlewise] How do skegs work?

From: Steve Brown <steve_at_brown-web.net>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:41:39 -0800
One thing usually ignored is that weather cocking is not just an aerodynamic
issue, it is a hydrodynamic one. The faster you are going the worse it
happens.
A boat with a skeg partway down to cancel cocking at cruising speed will
weathervane (blow down wind) at slower speeds or when stopped. Likewise,
paddling faster that cruising will cause some weather cocking.
I have read very good explanations of this, but cannot remember where I read
it, and didn't understand the theory behind it well enough to try and
explain it.

Steve Brown

-----Original Message-----


G'Day,

Can anyone explain why varying the degree of deployment of a skeg allows one
to compensate so effectively for such a wide variety of directions of wind
or waves?

All the best, PeterO
***************************************************************************
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 Tue Feb 10 2004 - 13:04:02 PST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:31:12 PDT