: My wife gave me plans for Rob Mack's "FireStar" for
: Christmas last year and as I am nearing completion of my 2nd
: Spring Run, I am anticipating starting the FireStar after the
: new year. I've been reading lots of posts in the past few days
: about Etienne's drop down skeg that is being installed in his
: new NorthStar. With the FireStar being a slightly downsized
: version of the NorthStar, should I plan on a drop down skeg for
: this boat. Will I need it? I know it will be a whole lot easier
: to install during the build than a retrofit....

: Thoughts anyone? ET, what do you think?

: Bob Beaullieu

Hi Bob

My current boat is not a NS, but I did retrofit a skeg in the North Star and although I find I don't use it much, there are occasions, such as long crossings quartering off the wind, when it is a real blessing. The NS surfs well, even on small swell, especially if I lean my weight backward after catching a swell, but the skeg has made it a whole lot better, and since the design goes so very well downwind is seems a shame not to extract the very pest potential out of it. The fin I put into the North Star is an Onno fin, not perfect, but better than anything else I have come across from commercial suppliers.

I prefer my own setup though. I would consider buying, or picking up a windsurfing fin and adjusting it to fit a home mad casing...see pic. That is a lovely bit of kit which could be adapted.

I would go ahead and put in the skeg. It adds to the building time, but the are occasions when paddling, that you kick yourself if you don't.

That's my opinion anyway.

Et