Had a really odd idea whilst reading this discussion. What if you built the retractable skeg so that it didn't just drop/rotate VERTICALLY from it's housing, but also/instead slid BACKWARD?

Imagine the ubiquitous utility knife with retractable blade. Now mount this in a highly rockered stern, perhaps with the top of the slot at or even slightly above waterline. Skeg slides out sternward. The skeg wouldn't be as deep in the water as with a drop-down style, but the center of pressure would move farther back as the skeg extended, thus increasing the lever arm for it to work with. Also, the aft-facing slot might be less likely to collect sand/pebbles during beach landings?

Don't know how practical this would be. Might have deployment or durability problems. But it might work.

Val