[Paddlewise] Skeg Jammers

Paddlewisers,

I just got back from a week long Catalina Island trip in Southern California
(http://www.rollordrown.com/cat04/). Two of the paddlers on the trip had
skeg boats, which we now refer to as skeg jammers, because both of them had
skeg jamming problems, one of them repeatedly. It seems that many of the
beaches around the island have pebbles that are the perfect size for jamming
skegs, so we nicknamed the island Skeg Jammer Island.

The skeg jammer boats were Kajak Sport and Nigel Foster, which are actually
very good boats. But don't tell me (especially after this trip) that skegs
are more reliable than rudders. I don't paddle rudder boats anymore, because
I like to suffer more when I paddle, but when I did have rudders, they never
gave me any problems.

There was skeg jamming paranoia on the trip, with guys launching straddling
the kayak and with the kayak turned backwards to avoid jams. The quote of
the trip was, "There's nothing like a skeg that works in the morning," which
was said after managing to launch without jamming the skeg.

Despite all of the skeg problems, I'd still choose a skeg boat over a rudder
boat (the suffering thing), but I would by no means rely on the skeg,
especially on a trip. It's too bad there aren't more kayak designs that
don't need a skeg or rudder. Interestingly, there was such a boat on the
trip, and due it being loaded bow heavy, resulting in excessive weather
cocking and broaching during a crossing, a tow line had to be used for a
while to keep it going straight.

I do propose that as an industry standard all skeg jammer boats should have
recesses on the deck above the skeg to hold a pair of needle nose pliers and
a butter knife.

Duane Strosaker
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************