Hi all I have installed a skeg on my Chesapeake 17. It is the retractable design that was originally used on the Seguin (I think the spelling is correct)and has been written up in Wooden Boat. I did some quick surfing and could not find the links, so you are on your own for details. The skeg essentially duplicated the design in WB except that I did not use a bungie to pull it in the water and the pivot is a little different. My incarnation uses a rope to pull in both directions with a pully at the stern for direction changes. Nothing but positive comments. With the thing fully dropped a one armed Eskimo would track straight enought to get his whale. I am really pleased with it so far, but am a relative newbie to the whole sea kayaking affair and will not gone out on the high seas until I get more proficient. I have has some experience with a strong tail wind and wavesw on a large inland lake and it worked well. I would not build another boat without one.

Anybody make it to the CLC affair? I was going, but got awarded a free ticket to Korea by my employer the following Monday and had to pass. I was wondering how it compared to the New Found rendevous in NH last summer. There was some really great furniture that people threw in the lake and paddled around at that one.

Anyone in the Albany NY area that wants to paddle, give me an email.