Effective Skeg Tool

Advice
#1

If you paddle skeg boats you have experienced a jammed skeg. Like me, you probably have a line attached that dangles so that your partner can pull it down while you work the slider. Sometimes, though, those suckers are jammed up tight with gravel and pulling too hard or forcing the slider will only create damage and a situation that you wish you had avoided. I’ve found that if the skeg doesn’t become unstuck with only moderate tension on the line the box needs clearing and a return to shore to clear it is necessary.

I hate it when that happens so I have a table knife that I picked up at Goodwill (3 for $0.60) that I cut a notch in with my Dremel. I hand it to my partner and have them try to clear the junk out of the box. If that doesn’t do it they can catch the top of the skeg in the notch and pull it down then clear whatever junk is left.

What do you use?

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2 Likes
#2

Great idea! You are an Honorary Cajun Engineer.

1 Like
#3

Very clever. And this’ll teach me to look at the pics before reading the post. I thought this was going to be about making a skeg with a butter knife.

1 Like
#4

Very creative! I keep a Leatherman in my kit.

1 Like
#5

I’ve used an old dive knife for this. Relatively small blade knife, but long enough to also function as a tool to pop the button out on Werner paddles that are separated but don’t want to lock together. Your butter knife should be able to handle that function also.