Hey I have a question that i thought i would bring to the P-net pros.
I left the skeg down on my cappela (old model if that makes a difference) when i pulled it onto shore. It bent the wire so now I cannot pull the the skeg in more than half way. What would be the best way to fix this? Replace the entire wire or just try to take the skeg off and bend the wire back…
-DanC-
new skeg
not sure about the capella, but on the quest you need a new skeg kit (wire + skeg) as the wire in permanently attached to the skeg itself. this can be special ordered from your dealer. replacement is easy. if you can replace just the wire on the capella, you’ll need to do so. Once you’ve kinked the wire, it is basically impossible to straighten. there are a variety of wire sources–do a search on PNet and you’ll find several–or you can order the wire through your dealer as well.
on some
skeg wire replacements I have done it IS possible to drill out the wire and glue in the new one.
It takes some work BUT the cost of wire is dirt cheap compared with a whole assembly. I use vice grips and pull out/ twist as much as I can till all the wires are either pulled or broke off. then I use a small bit and carefully drill out what’s left. after fitting the new wire I use a JB Weld paste to ‘flue’ the new wire in. clean up the edges and viloa…new wire.
I think I have some pics of this process if interested, email me.
steve
aha!
You just confirmed what I thought was possible.
Valley uses a set screw to tighten wire whitin skeg. Do you think it possible to use the same approach for P&H skegs?
sure
I think Brystrom has done this. you gotta tap the skeg to accept the screw. sounds techy to me. I find it hard enough to drill 'er out but tapping aluminium? good luck
steve
Yes, it’s possible.
If you’re going to install a set screw, start by drilling an undersized pilot hole to make sure you’ve got the angle right, then drill to the proper dimension for tapping. There are special tapping fluids for aluminum that work really well (“Alum-Tap”), but you can get by with plain mineral spirits if need be. Take your time and back the tap out often to keep it clean. FWIW, I prefer to use 2-flute taps for this.
Plastic skegs can also be tapped. No lubrication is necessary.
Once the hole is drilled and tapped, install the cable and a stainless set screw and you’re good to go. It will be MUCH easier to change cables in the future.
Skeg Repair
Before replacing the entire skeg, I’d start by pulling the skeg partly out and bending the wire back into place using a pair of pliers or vice grips. Some boat manufacturers (such as Kajaksport and for a time, P&H) use a softer cable precisely for that reason…so that you can bend the cable back into place. The flip side is, you may find it more succeptable to kinking again.