Subject: Re: baidarka Strap on skeg?
From: Greg Stamer (gstamer@magicnet.net)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2001 - 18:50:49 EST
Jack,
The "steering fins" are of a flattened egg shape, very similar in shape to
the fin of a slalom water ski. Some of them have a large hole cut in them,
to aid in turning while still providing strong directional control. The
skegs that I saw were lashed just ahead of the stern. Two widely-spaced
holes are drilled along the base of the fin. Lashings run through two
mating holes in the wear strip on which the fin is mounted. You can find
good information on this topic in "Skinboats of Greenland". Lacking this,
there are several pictures of Greenland kayaks with skegs, in the current
(Feb 2001) issue of Sea Kayaker magazine, that will give you an idea of
shape and location.
I normally don't paddle with a skeg and had some troubles adapting to them
in Greenland. In one case the skeg did not prevent the kayak from
weathercocking but it did prevent my leans and sweeps from correcting my
course. Very frustrating, but probably caused more by my lack of experience
in that particular kayak (Maligiaq's 1998 racing kayak). Also, the skeg
generally precludes beach launches and landings (running the kayak up onto
shore). This was not much of an issue to the Greenlanders who typically
enter/exit the kayak via high docks and rock outcroppings.
Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida
http://www.magicnet.net/~gstamer/QK.html
-
Baidarka Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be
reproduced outside Baidarka or Baidarka archives without author's permission
Submissions: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions: baidarka-request@lists.intelenet.net
Searchable archive: http://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b27 : Thu Feb 01 2001 - 01:00:02 EST