Stuck skeg:

I mean, really stuck. I hadn’t used that kayak for awhile, so I checked it prior to loading up, and it just wouldn’t budge. Still not sure just what the problem was. Probably a bit of everything, but I broke the pull down string pulling on it. Now this was not a kinked cable. Just stuck, in the retract position. The last thing you want to do is try to push it down with the slider. That practically guarantees a kinked cable. I found that a large size wire tie could be slipped down along the blade, with the big end down, and it would catch beneath the blade. I then loosened the allen set screws that retain the cable in the slider. With enough force to lift the boat, I was finally able to pull the blade down, remove the cable and skeg, and clean out the whole mess. I mention this because, sooner or later, we will all have a jammed skeg problem. A large wire tie is an easy item to always have on board. I know I will,

a regular mcgyver
I wish I had thought of that, last time mine jammed. Good work.

I did unstick it once by taking it to the do it yourself car wash and blasting the heck out of the housing until the gravel came out. I’m convinced there is a better mousetrap waiting to be invented.

slide a knife or narrow screw driver
On a trip I had to resort to sliding a tent stake (a narrow one) along side the skeg to knock out a pebble.

Good job, approach noted
Jammed skeg blades can be a bit of a bother. I have never had one as stubborn as what you describe. In my emergency repair kit, I carry a broken-off piece of a hacksaw blade: a perfect tool for removing gravel stuck between skeg and skeg box.

Thanks for the tip