Re: [Paddlewise] Skeg Jammers

Peter T posted:
>What do solo paddlers do to free a skeg while on the water?<

I believe Leon Somme made mention in the recent Iceland Expedition interview
in Adventure Kayaking Magazine the fact that he has been know to perform a
re-entry and roll to get back in his kayak after fixing a jammed skeg. This
was assumed to be in reference to solo trips (and not in connection with his
Iceland trip with Shawna and Chris D.).

I've had to do the same thing after experiencing rudder difficulties. In my
case, the rudder was stuck with the right pedal pushed down. Due to the
acute angle of the rudder at the stern causing the kayak to turn starboard,
I could not raise the rudder out of the water (in fact, it did come out part
way, but still in the water, which is almost as bad). This is particular to
my heavily modified VCP rudder. Most normal rudders would slip up and over
onto the deck, I imagine, with a tug on the haul-up line. I've not had to do
this in extreme conditions (i.e. rough water where the thought of an
unsuccessful re-enter and roll is less comfortable, but have done so in a
tide race once it muted a bit, and no, I should not have been using the
rudder in currents).

I do remember one memorable trip down the west coast of Vancouver Island
with a couple of fellow paddlers who both had skegged kayaks. There was an
ongoing war of words and ideology over those in the religious right (me,
with my ruddered Nordkapp) and the lefties with their liberal skegs).
Discussion and snide commentary was rather effusive for days on end, with
the religious zealot smirking his way off of every beach for three days
straight along one section, where the aggregate-size of the pebbles was
divinely created to jam all skegged craft. All manner of kayak-launching was
used, but to no avail. The rudder fanatic's Leatherman was used continuously
(a nice stainless steel model). Blood pressures of the skeg guys rose
dramatically, which was odd given the healthy venue of glorious oceanic
surroundings. I even saw a few paddles throw into the air in abject
frustration and states of absolute disgrace.

All humility was restored to the smug, rudder-equipped kayak devotee, when
upon rounding Cape Clerk later in the week in some truly inspired seas
through a minefield of widely-dispersed offshore boulders (one might say an
aggregate of a more biblical proportion), his rudder cable connecter snapped
due to dissimilar metal interaction combined with heavy bracing. The two
under-hull finned paddlers were unable to lend immediate assistance, as they
were pre-occupied clawing their way over 8-foot breaking boomers. A re-entry
and roll, post rudder-fix was not contemplated.  The offending rudder was
causing a severe shoreward turn, not the place one wanted to go, unless one
truly wanted to get close to God. A few good whacks with the paddle to the
rudder, and a bit of prying with a nice Lendal plastic bladed paddle,
combined with vigorous yanking on a stout up-hall line between sets, finally
saved the day. A choir of heavenly creatures were heard singing a refrain of
"Damn stinking rudders." Sadly, the rudder is still used to this very day,
while the paddler in question awaits conversion and fostering by Nigel
"only-need-a-stinking-paddle" Foster.

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it
holds the universe together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************