: The problem I have with this, other than the initial cost, is if
: something breaks how exactly are you going to fix it?

One starts down the problems/breakage/repair road when the skeg(rudder) decision is made. After that, it is just the degree of problem/breakage/repair.
Rope pull/pull is the simplest and easiest to fix, cable next, with rod a close third, and then the others farther down the line of complexity and cost.

Aside from housing leakage, if there’s a problem with any of them, 2 feet of duct tape around the hull or a simple wedge will keep it retracted until repair can be made after the journey. Hopefully the yak will behave almost as well as any other by using the ordinary strokes we all use.

If by chance, the yak is a real dog with the retracted/broken skeg and yr in the middle of a longish journey, with a quick detour to shore, it would be possible to jam and tie or wedge or tape a trimmed branch under the skeg slot to mimic a long keel-like skeg approach until a more appropriate repair could be made.

But like mentioned before, the rudder and skeg decision is like planned pregnancy – either you accept the problems or you don’t.