: The closer the skeg is located to the center of the kayak the more
: versatile it becomes. I have installed permanent skegs,
: 1"x18", on a couple kayaks with very good results. The
: location just behind the cockpit seemed to work the best. In
: this location the skeg acts as a fulcrum for both wind and
: waves. Rear quartering waves is where it really shines. You can
: have a maneuverable kayak yet still be minimally effected by the
: wind and waves. I don't know why any of the manufacturers don't
: capitalize on these performance characteristics. I guess because
: they all make touring kayaks that don't really need to perform
: that well.

Oh boy, Don, what you and Reg have said is very exciting news. This one by eighteen skeg rung a bell with me, so I went back to the Paddling.net review of the Night Heron posted years ago where I remembered something like it and VOILA, it was you! One of the boats that's getting something is MY Night Heron (another is an Archtic Hawk). Did you bond it on with something like Sikaflex, so that it could be removed with a blade if the position wasn't perfect? The leading edge starts just behind the cockpit?