: I finished my Guillemot L about a month ago. I think I would like to improve
: the tracking a bit, but I don't really want to add the complexity of a
: rudder. I just want to make it so that I don't need to make as many
: corrective steering strokes in waves or wind and I don't want to slow down
: the boat.

: I was considering adding a skeg, but I'm not really sure what the best size
: or location would be. I was initially thinking of a tear-dropped shape,
: maybe 8 inches long by 4 inches deep located about 2 feet from the stern.

I tend to comment frequently on skegs and crosswinds, so for those who have read my babble sorry here I go again. I do not have experience with a Guillemot L however I do know adding a skeg to any kayak greatly affects how it handles in a crosswind. I find that having to make correction strokes in a brisk crosswind to be of more concern than making correction strokes in straight tracking conditions.

First, if you are new to kayaking, you will want to develop your stroke for efficiency and to control tracking before modifying your kayak. An efficient stroke is one that does not require a lot of correction. After working on my stroke and becoming familiar with my first kayak I found I wanted more maneuverability. So I suggest you paddle for a year before you start gluing and chopping on your kayak.

Adding a skeg will reduce a kayak's tendancy to weathercock (turn into the wind) or if big enough it will even make the kayak leecock (turn downwind). So before adding a fixed skeg, I recommend you paddle in a good crosswind. If the kayak weathercocks more than you like, then add a fixed skeg. It does not take much skeg to affect both tracking and weathercocking. It is likely that you will install more skeg than you needed which is ok because it is easy to shave some off by trial and error to dial in the crosswind handling that you find acceptable. A kayak that weathercocks too much is exhausting to paddle in a good crosswind. And you definitely do not want a kayak that leecocks at all. Just be sure you can handle your kayak in crosswinds before getting caught in one any distance from shelter. A kayak that carves turns can control a certain amount of weathercocking by leaning into the wind.

Now to complicate matters a little more. Moving the CG also affects weathercocking, forward more, back less. So if you move the seat in addition to adding and trimming a skeg it becomes a balancing act between skeg size and seat position. While maintaining a consistent degree of weathercocking the farther forward the seat the bigger the skeg will be and the kayak will be harder tracking.

Hope some of this babble helps.

: Any other suggestions?

: Wade