Hi LessPaul,

I have built a number kayaks including the petrel play.  

My initial reaction is leave it where it is.  A foot forward of the proposed position on the plans is not going to make an appreciable difference.  

Skeg location is not a simple equation and there are advantages and disadvantages of further aft vs more forward…..and its hard for me to imagine you will feel a ‘difference’ unless you had multiple boats of the same design to compare those pluses and minuses as they express themselves in different conditions.

To simplify the basics

• In totally flat water, a skeg farther aft can be smaller to give the equivalent trimming force vs a skeg further forward.  Hence racing kayaks position their skegs well aft to minimize drag for the trimming force vs needing a bigger – more draggy skeg that would be required if further in.
• In lumpy seas, a skeg further aft can often end up out of the water as the boat rocks so that the skeg is now not working or you need a bigger skeg to keep it working.  A skeg further in is less likely to lose its bite and can potentially be a bit smaller.

So you can see in these two scenarios, that skeg placement is not a precise science for a boat that is going to be used in different conditions.  

Fwiw, I have tended to gravitate towards my skegs being a bit more forward after sorting through all the plusses and minuses which in addition to the basics above also include things like likelihood of damage, length of control cables or wires and room to access or fix a skeg should that be required.

Rest easy….paddle your boat and enjoy it.  If after paddling you are profoundly dissatisfied, write us another note and we can talk about more drastic measures then.

Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.

h

   Much thanks for your well reasoned response. Resting much easier!

Agree 100% with hspira's comments.  I did not install a skeg in my S&G Petrel Play when it was built, but after a couple of years decided to add one.  Due to limited access, I was forced to install it much further forward than I would have had I done it during construction before the deck was on.  From a performance standpoint, I really don't notice any difference compared to the two boat that hav skegs further aft.  The only negative is that installed forward, it makes it more difficult to get larger bags into the aft storage compartment.  Not really an iissue for me because I don't use this boat for serious kayak camping.

   Thanks Mark!