Erics post illustrates my point
Skeg or rudder really depends on what type of hull design you want. If a boat is designed primarily for speed, glide, and tracking, like a suede form, it would more or less be a boat you may want a rudder on.
If the boat is designed for manueverability, like a fish form, it may be a boat to get a skeg with.
A Romany and a rudder would be crossing two different schools of thought.
Eric, do you use a wing blade when paddling your Glider? If not, do you think you would use your rudder more on the Glider if you did paddle it with a wing blade?
skeg over rudder
Had a ruddered boat and really started to get involved in the joy of moving the kayak around with stroke play so moved to a brit style kayak and rarely use the skeg anyway.
Rudder: - can get bent/damaged in the rough stuff
- can snap a cable and not work at all (happened on a 5 day trip)
-is not very efficent in choppy sea fron rear/rear quater
-cannot turn over kayak on/near shore to empty cockpit of water.
-can damage other kayaks and other poeople in surf/rough water.
- maybe kayak can catch more wind.
- good for kayak sailing
- good for a less physical paddle when on
trips.
A few things and my 2cents
Thanks
– Last Updated: Apr-02-08 8:35 PM EST –
Detente is the word I'm looking for. Right now tensions have eased in the region but if Nelson or Ken start escalating velocities I'll have to respond with a much 'rapier' boat... and maybe a wing paddle.
Suede = drag?
I would think that a “suede form” for would increase the wetted surface too much for a fast hull;-) Maybe a Swede form would work better? I don’t know. I’m certainly no expert.
I agree
– Last Updated: Apr-02-08 10:34 PM EST –
My total kayak sailing experience is limited. I've sailed sans rudder for about a year. This past fall on a downwind sail I hit 22 mph. The sail was so tight I couldn't move the sheets (Pacific Action sail), skeg adjustment had little effect. Had my wing paddle with me, wings don't do rudder strokes well, and not at that speed.
That run scared the crap out of me. Can't wait to do it again, with a rudder.
Andy
Yes, but it hasn’t been trouble
If by trouble you mean mechanical failures, so far I haven’t had one. Could happen with a rudder, too, so they’re equal on that count.
If by trouble you mean having to pay more attention to technique and conditions, I enjoy that even on camping trips. It’s part of what makes paddling paddling, not just exercise.
Trouble
Having both on two different boats my 2ct:
If a skeg fails, you can’t lower or lift it, but you still can paddle straight, you just may need a few more corrections strokes.
If a rudder fails - and there are many ways - you’re lucky if it’s fixed in a straight position or not fixed at all (broken rope etc.).
If not, you paddle all the way left or right, and depending on the angle you may even not be able to paddle straight in any way. If you’re alone and need to fix it, you have to leave your kayak, because you can’t reach it.
I had this with a piece of plastic waste and luckily I could remove it with my paddle after paddling several rounds. In higher waves this would have been impossible.
Trouble defined
Thanks everyone. Good fodder for thought.
For the record, when I wrote “trouble” I meant the mechanical kind. I’ve never had a single problem with my rudder in three years of use. Just about everyone I paddle with who use skegs have had mechanical issues of some sort in that time. Seems to be chronic. (Yeah, a lot of it seems to be the “gravel in the well” variety.)
That said, I’m still tending toward the skeg.
Much appreciated.
Sea Kayaker Magazine horror story
They ran a story in the last couple of years about a guy paddling at Pyramid Lake in NV (huge, windy lake). His rudder got stuck such that he, basically, was paddling in a giant circle at a time when he desperately needed to get to land.
I read that story
I can’t remember why he just didn’t pull the rudder up and paddle without it. Was the line to pull it up with also broken
Bad situation
I don’t remember for sure, but I think he was in such conditions already that he could not safely reach behind to do anything. If there had been a paddling companion, they might have been able to do it for him. But he was alone.
I don’t remember the details either
but as I recall it was more an issue of being in conditions he wasn’t really able to handle than a rudder problem per se.
Not all skeg cables push
My blade is spring loaded so the cable is pulled up be me and pulled down by the spring. No push.
Rudder Advantage
One thing I really like about a rudder is that I can use my momentum or the current to propel me within close range of wildlife, steering with the rudder instead of using the paddle with all the extra movement.
Talk to a canoe paddler 'bout that NM
Yes, rudder works on canoe too.
Typically …
Guess I neglected to use the word ‘typically’ when referring to skeg cables; there’s an exception to most rules.
If your skeg cable is indeed pulled in both directions, I suspect there is little chance of it kinking.
blasphemer, heretic
how dare you.
I dare with a smile : )
Not that!!!
I was giving a nod to the wide variety of paddle techniques that can be used to propel and maneuver relatively silently with minimal commotion. Much of this can be done in a kayak with a double blade too, but single bladers do more of this stuff from what I see.
Needing a rudder for stealthier wildlife observation seems a bit of a stretch. Canoes have been used rudderless for exactly this for a LONG time, and kayaks were designed for stealth long before rudders we’re slapped on.