My experience is exactly the opposite
but what do I know. I know lots of skegless Romany and Explorer owners that wished they had one on certain dates. How many times did they spend a lot of time on trim or maneuvering strokes? Sort of brings ya back to the skeg, rudder debates. I also know people who cut their resale target population dramatically by getting a custom bulkhead and opted for no skeg. The good news is that you can buy skeg cassettes, either rope, wire or hydro from Nigel. Easy install.
Dogmaticus
Rockpool
I hear there’s a new “signature” edition Rockpool in the works. It’ll be black on black, any guess whose name will be on the side? (Not Dubside’s…)
greenlander w/out skeg
Not to hijack but I have a greenlander (not “pro”) and I’d have to disagree with you regarding the skeg.
Hey Dogmatycus
where do I find out more info on what NDK has to offer. I couldn’t even find anything about the different skeg conrol systems they offer on the NDK website. You mentioned an add on cassette and rope, wire, or hydro for control. What’s the hydro and how does it work? Thanks
Try this link:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/medicalgenetics/seakayakingblogframe.htm
(Scroll down to Paddle '06 Exhibition Perth)
Also, Google Kari-Tek.
Dogmaticus
Thanks
Thanks you guys for the web addresses.
It was “interesting”, but not hard
I didn’t use conventional methods, but my results were good just the same.
I cut my slot, and used MAS quick set epoxy to tack the skeg box in place. To accomplish this, I cut the slot to exactly match the inside of the cassette (You should anyway), and glued it up. I deployed the skeg blade, and held onto it, holding the cassette in place. The epoxy set in 30 minutes, and I was able to mix up some regular epoxy for the fillet, and then glassed over the fillet. It’s totally bombproof now.
My best advice would be to forget using a sabre saw to cut the slot, and go with a dremel tool with a cutting wheel on it. It walks through fiberglass like a hot knife through butter, and will cut a straight line easier than a sabre saw, IMO. You just have to have really stable hands, and go slow.
Mark out your cuts well, and measure everything 3 times before you cut. Having your skeg slightly off-center is no big deal (Check out Guillemot Kayaks’ “Petrel” prototype to see how far you can go & still have it work fine), but it has to be parallel to the centerline of the boat to work properly.
Wayne
not EZ
installing a retractable skeg is pretty involved. lots of possibility of messing up and making a mess. If drilling, cutting, grinding, glassing, sanding, routing, etc. is your bag…good luck.
fwiw I just installed 2 in a couple new prototypes with the hull/ deck seperated and it was a chore. 
steve
to each his (her) own
I paddled a R-16 for 2+ seasons and used the skeg some, like whenever the boat was outta balance with the wind and I wanted to change the balance.
I have watched a number of folks (top end paddlers, even) in R-16s and Explorers struggle with outta balance boats.
Think of a skeg as a tool.
steve
True, trim is significant
I find that my Romany is low enough volume that I have to be very conscious of how I load anything besides the day hatch. The boat has a VERY loose bow and in winds can get pushed around quite a bit. The skeg can be very useful when the boat’s load is not loaded best for the conditions.
Fair enough comment
I work with similar stuff all the time, so for me that job would be easy, but you are correct in saying that it might be tougher for some. Any decent composite person could do it for someone for a reasonable cost…Just guessing, but about $300 ? perhaps for a pro job.