I have a Current Designs Scirocco that has lost its skeg. The connection between the skeg cable and the skeg broke. The first time this happened it was in shallow water and the skeg was recovered. I used some JB Weld to reconnect the skeg to the cable, and all was well for a few trips. Then we landed after paddling through some rough water, and the skeg was gone.
I have only been able to find one vendor selling replacements, but said vendor is on hiatus and has slow shipping. I’d like to get the Scirocco fully operational again while the weather is still good, so I’ve decided to make a new skeg from either sheet metal or ultra high density plastic.
Cutting a skeg from either of the above materials is easy, but since I no longer have the original skeg, I don’t know the dimensions. I haven’t been able to find a diagram online either, just a picture.
Does anyone here have the same boat? If so, are you able to tell me the skeg dimensions? All dimensions would be preferable, but even if you can only measure the long dimension (along the length of the skeg) I can figure out the rest from the photo I found online.
We’ve got one at home. It’s my wife’s favorite kayak, and the only one she paddles besides the tandem. I paddle it occasionally also. I don’t think the skeg has been operational for the last 5 years, so I wouldn’t let that keep you off of the water. I’ll see about measuring it maybe tonight, but I would probably take this as an opportunity to master the kayak without skeg use. I know how it handles in wind and waves without the skeg, as does my smaller wife. I can’t remember either of us even discussing getting it in working order, though I know I’ve at least thought about it a few times. A kinked cable I think, as I’ve recently pulled the skeg down from the stern, and retracted it from the skeg control a few times while rinsing it in the yard. But we haven’t bothered with it in use for as long as I can remember, and I’m remembering back around 5 years. I’d suggest ordering the replacement, and using the fiddle-diddle time paddling the kayak without a skeg. Unless the fiddle-diddling is a big part of the fun. I think every time I think about fiddling with kayak maintenance, it immediately strikes me that I could be paddling instead. That would explain 5 years with a kinked skeg cable I guess. That and if it had a working skeg, it’s quite unlikely that I would deploy it anyway. Based upon your thoughts, you likely don’t normally even consider paddling without a skeg, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But it is valuable to be adept at handling it without, for instances as you’ve just experienced, but maybe with more extreme weather or distances involved.
All my CD hulls have rudders. I still pull the rudder up in difficult waters to practice. At least once or twice cable has snapped. At least I was somewhat ready.
Thank you all so much for your responses, you’ve given me enough information to recreate the skeg dimensions and cut it out this weekend.
I actually agree that the skeg isn’t a big loss, but my brother (and paddling partner) refuses to go without it. Claims he can’t steer.
Any thoughts on using sheet aluminum (the original skeg appeared to be anodized aluminum) vs. ultra-dense plastic? The plastic is heavy enough to sink obviously.
Also, do any of you know how to remove the black piece around the skeg opening? It seems like it can be pried off, but I don’t want to do something dumb and break my boat.
Do you know how to remove the black plastic piece around the skeg well? I don’t expect you to do it, but I’ll need to do it to connect the new skeg securely.
This boat is brother/roommate/paddling partner’s boat. He’s less experienced and claims he can’t steer without it.
I have a Sealion, which used to have a rudder, but no longer does. I’m comfortable handling sea kayaks in pretty much any configuration, but I don’t like going alone and my little bro won’t go without his skeg. That’s why I’m so interested in replacing it. I want my paddling buddy back.
If CD doesn’t have the part to sell, maybe you can convince them to email you a CAD drawing. Another option, if you can get a CD part number, search for that. Sometimes it works better than searching by description.
The black plastic piece should not be removed. It is not at all designed to be removable. The skeg can fall out with it in place, and can be replaced with it in place. Leave yourself plenty of cable when you put it back in so that you don’t kink your new cable. In other words, you attach the cable to the skeg prior to putting it back into the skeg box. Hook the skeg in with plenty of excess cable outside of the skeg box. Then carefully feed the cable back in.
One thing I’ll point out regarding a double kayak is that I can put a lousy paddler in the front of a tandem and have no issues. I can paddle in the front, and there’s not much good for me to do about a stern paddler who can’t manage directional control. It’s almost never about the person in front not being a good paddler in good tandem kayak. However, it is very common for a stern paddler to be absolutely convinced that directional control issues are the fault of the bow paddler.
In other words, the rudder is to help the stern paddler, because of the stern paddler, or just because of other things, and not really about compensating for a less skilled bow paddler.
I don’t care how skilled a paddler you think you are, the Sirocco needs and should be paddled with the skeg at least deployed half way almost all the time. That is not a criticism of the Sirocco; it’s just the way the boat was designed. However if you like constantly having to work at keeping the boat on course and think that is half the fun–have at it.