Loaned my VCP Avocet RM to a buddy. He bent the skeg cable.

So, in replacing the skeg cable, I decided to build a nicer skeg. The stock skeg was some sort of stiff (PP or PVC) plastic, 1/4" thick, rounded over edges, but flat in cross-section.

When I fixed my friend's old VCP Selkie, I noticed it had a foil-shaped glass blade. I can do that!

The new skeg is white HDPP, 1/2" thick. Cut profile to match existing. Leading edge rounded over to 3/8" back from edge. Trailing edge is cut to a fine taper about 1 1/2" back from the edge. As good of foil shape as I could cut with a block plane. There were two rubber spacers which centered the old skeg in the skeg box. These were removed to make room for the new, wider skeg.

Photo shows:

(top left) Original skeg
(lower left) New skeg
(center) Deployed new skeg showing cross section shape
(right) Left, old skeg thickness; Right, new skeg in box, twice as thick.

After using this skeg last night, it was a lot less noisy when deployed. It also seemed to have less drag, but that is what I was expecting, so this is a pretty subjective measurement. I know with the old skeg, when I was cruising and dropped it quickly, I felt like I hit the brakes...quantitative tests say you gain up to 10% more drag with a skeg deployed. The new one "feels" like less than 5.

It used to be susceptible to 1/4" - 3/8" gravel. Guess now I'm susceptible to -1/8" gravel!

Shawn