I always install skegs after the bottom of the hull has been glassed on both the inside and the outside and definitely before the hull has been joined to the deck.   Yes, the skeg box needs to be carefully glassed into the hull with fillets (on the inside) and multiple layers of reinforcing fiberglass.   The plywood cap goes on top of the box and not on top of the deck.   While I understand that you are probably reluctant to purchase another skeg I personally think plywood skeg kits are not worth the effort when one can buy a complete unit that will never leak.  For example, the one from KajakSport  (https://kajaksport.fi/product-category/skeg-systems/) is a great product that I have used successfully on a number of boats.   It is available from topkayak.com as well as a number of other dealers in the US and Europe.   I am not sure why CLC does not sell it.

Also definitely before the deck is attached here. You really need that access to make a solid, leak-proof connection which, as djdewitt states, needs to be filleted and glassed for maximum structural strength (as well as leak-proofing).

On the other hand, I personally prefer to install skeg boxes, daggerwells and any other box that attaches around an opening into the hull after the internal glass but before the external glass. This is because I prefer to install the boxes so they go through the hull instead of on the hull. That lets me get a perfect fit for length and shape while also letting me pack any gaps between the hull and box with epoxy/woodflour putty. Plus the exterior glass will cover the exposed endgrain. The only concern is that in a kit the pieces may be pre-cut to an exact length that is too short to go through the hull.

The off-center mounting is to allow the keel to hit bottom before the skeg opening does. This helps keep the skeg from getting jammed up with sand, gravel, etc. It doesn't affect paddling and most of the time it's underwater so only the fish see the asymmetry.

Laszlo

   Thanks, Folks,

I got the CLC skeg kit because it's the sectional Shearwater Sport, so any skeg that needs cables to pass through a bulkhead up to near the cockpit would be difficult to pull off.  Ot at least annoying, to have to re-thread the cable every time the kayak is assembled.

Do these kits really have such problems with leaking?

   It's this kit:

https://clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-gear/hatchet-retractable-kayak-skeg-kit.html

The skeg box passes completely through the kayak- there is on opening on the aft deck as well.

   My apologies.  In 20 years of paddling and building kayaks I had never seen a skeg like that.  Now I understand    If it were my boat I would probably glass the insside of the pieces of the skeg box pieces before assembling the box.  This will insure that the skeg rubbing on the sides of the box does not wear the box back to bare wood.  Once the box is assembled, I would fiberglass the outside as well to keep it it from leaking at the pivot rod.  If the pivot rod is indeed wood (as indicated by the instructions) I would personally replace it with stainless steel (316) or brass.   Make sure that the joints in the pieces of the box are well coated with epoxy and use thickened epoxy when assembling as I doubt that the box is wide enough to fillet the inside corners after assembling

As for the sectional aspect of this boat it would be easy with a kajaksport skeg to put the control at the front edge of the aft section.  Easy to reach back and adjust when needed.  

Hi dean 

just wanted to say that i think its a thoughtful choice for a sectional....making it easy to take apart and assemble your boat with a decent location for the actuator rope.

of the ideas above that i would highlight:

• glass the inside of the box to prevent it from wearing into the wood.
• replace the dowel with stainless steel

i have installed skegs in all different manners - during construction and post construction retro fit.  you are just going to need to study it and think ahead of your steps to see what makes sense.

in general i try to do skeg work while the boat is in construction and typically, as lazlo described, with the inside glassed but before the outside is glassed.  but it can easily also be done after the glassing has happened.   it just adds steps. 

if you wait until afterwards, the most important limitation is the skeg location must be accessable through the rear hatch...so you can fillet between the skeg box wall and the inside of the hull.....so you have to lay everything out and ensure from the hatch you can reach all the way around the box (becuase the fillet must go completely around the box).  while a 'limitation, you may find its a limitiation with no signiifcant impact becuase of where the hatch and skeg naturally go may easily make it accessable.  candidly, its typically only a problem on very long hulls....and the sport is not one of those shapes.

my personal aesthetic is to keep everything under the deck....and i suppose if that was super important to you, you could engineer a skeg borrowing some ideas from different designs that is rope actuated but with only the string extending through the deck.    but i have not seen an existing commercial offering that has that....

if i were to do it, my inspiration would come from the system used by Dagger kayaks that is string actuated.....and their skeg box uses a stainless steel spring to push the skeg down, so the rope is used to hold the skeg up and when released, the skeg then goes down - similar to the CLC design.  but the dagger system is all completely below the deck except for the actuator string.

cool project.

h

a little more on dagger kayaks

https://www.dagger.com/us/sites/default/files/schematics_dagger_axis_105.jpg

if you bought parts 41, 44 and 43 adn 45 you only would need to manufacture a box...

parts 27, 8 , 26, 10,and 28 you  would have all the actuator pieces.

wow...maybe i should give this a try :)

h

I totally agree with everyone who suggests glassing the inside of the box before assembling it. I do that with all my skeg boxes, daggerwells, centerboard boxes, rudder wells, etc; anything that has a moving part sliding inside it. It adds a lot of abrasion resistance to an area that will be difficult to get to after assembly. It's especially useful if you ever get gravel, oyster shell or anything else hard stuck in there.

Another thing I like to do is to paint the interior with epoxy/graphite mix to reduce friction and possible abrasion. That can be done before the box is assembled (just be sure to tape the areas where the pieces of wood will join to keep he joints clear of the graphite mix) or after, though the latter case will require extra work and a long thin brush.

Laszlo

   Thank you, everyone.  I guess I should see if my daughter even wants the skeg, or if she would rather keep her kayak's lines clean.  If not, I'll save the kit for some day when I build one for myself.

P.S.- Thus far this project is fun as hell.

 Any decision of whether the boat needs a skeg should really be left to the designer.  Before eliminating the skeg at least ask others on this forum how often they use their skegs.  Generally, a well designed boat will not need a skeg except when the wind is blowing sideways from the rear.  But in those situations a skeg can be critical

just a couple thoughts Iwould like to add to djdewitts comments above.

i would consider a skeg decision really is driven by the paddler of the boat and what they want....and how a skeg can address those requirements.  many handling issues that can be addressed with an adjustable skeg are very paddler and paddling environments specific.....what may appear to be a stable, well tracking boat for one paddler may not be the same for another paddler.  things like weight differences, skills, sea state, wind....and what kind of handling characteristics you want (or range of characteristics you want) all impact the skeg decision.   i would certainly consider inquiring the designer if they are available.....but its really the paddler, operator who makes the call in my view.   and of course, talking to people who have a hull like the one you want is always a great idea.  test paddles in different condiftions are also great if you can make that happen.

i don't buy into the view any longer that the need for a skeg in any way suggests a poorly designed boat (fwiw, i used to...but my thoughts on that have changed).  the essence of this perspective, for me, was the realization that there are many design goals beyond effortlessly holding a straight line.  the petrel play is a great example of an excellent design that is meant to spin around easily in surf.  it has a lot of rocker in the hull to help it do that.  that maneuverability that is designed into the hull happens to simultaneuously make it challenging to hold a straightline (if that happened to be your objective).  the skeg, in the petrel play, gives it the range to be highly maneuvarable (with the skeg up) and then with the same hull, hold a straight line (with the skeg down) when that is what you want to do.  

i am a fan of having a skeg as i have aged in my paddling... becuase when you bottom line it, they allow you to trim and adjust the handling characteristics of a boat to respond to all kinds of situations.  without an adjustable skeg, the paddler alone has to provide the muscle or technique to adapt to the situation.   and as djdewitt mentioned above, that can get pretty challenging or tiresome to do in certain situations.   a skeg can give you the best of many worlds :)

h

Building a Sectional Shearwater Sport with your daughter sounds like an amazing adventure! From my experience, it's best to install the skeg box after you've joined the hull and deck but before you glass the exterior; this way, you have better access for a clean fit. I recommend glassing the skeg box to the hull for added strength, and while you can epoxy the plywood cap onto the deck, adding a layer of fiberglass will give it extra durability. As for the skeg placement, I’ve found that positioning it slightly off-center can really enhance tracking and stability, especially if you're planning to carry gear or if the weight distribution is uneven. Enjoy the process, it's all about the journey together!

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