I like the rudder on my Great Auk Double and would like to put one on the Guillemot I am considering. Is it possible? Why would I want a skeg instead of a rudder?
It really depends on the conditions that you intend to paddle the boat in. In more benign conditions an over stern rudder will do just fine. As the conditions get worse, the over stern rudder will get lifted out of the water when waves approach from astern. The 2-3’ steep choppy waves that you get in shallow water are the worst. A skeg which is positioned further forward will stay in the water and keep the boat going straight in conditions where the over stern rudder looses effectiveness. Note that boats that are designed to paddle waves (like surfskis) have an under-hull rudder which is mounted further forward so that it is always in the water so you always have control. I paddle (and race in) a lot of waves so I always install a skeg unless I install an underhull Surfski style rudder.
Hi William,
the thing to keep in mind is that:
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a rudder can be used to both turn a boat as well as act as a skeg to help tracking (generally in a straight line) and
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a skeg can only be used to help in straight line tracking.
so long boats, like doubles, often have a stern rudder to help turn the boat easily in a way that otherwise could be challenging with just paddle strokes alone.
shorter singles, often, are quite maneuverable such that they don’t need a rudder for turning, but benefit from a retractable skeg to keep the boat moving straight in certain conditions.
so all of my singles have skegs…..its just easier to install them when building. When needed, they come in very handy….like with quartering winds and seas or a hull type that is very maeneuvarable such that its simply challenging to paddle in straight line absent the skeg.
where a skeg or rudder is placed on a boat is a seperate but important question as well.
rudders are almost exclusively hung off the back (stern) of the boat becuase that’s how most commercial rudder kits one would buy are set up to work. they can also be installed under the boat like on a rowing shell….but i have not seen easy access to these types of kits in routine use.
skegs kits, are almost always set up to be placed in the hull and, as mark describes, are set inward (away from the back) somewhat to ensure they stay in the water for good tracking.
since over-the-stern rudder kits are hung over the back, one of the challenges as mark notes, is they can lose contact with the water in wavy conditions….so at that point, when its out of the water, you have no rudder/skeg working for you.
another consideration is aesthetics/reliability/maintenance…..traditional greenland-inspired boats, in my personal opinion, are not enhanced with an over-the-stern rudder kit. they are also easy to break when they sit on the end of a boat and they have a lot of parts to allow for both the up and down movement and turning. skegs, on the other hand, are relatively simple with less moving parts and a skeg doesn’t hang over the stern where it becomes an easy target for ‘bumping’.
i looked up the guillemot expedition and some of its characteristics….and think a skeg would be the more appropriate approach…..though it is a long boat, the hull form is associated with good maneuverability…it has soft chines in the middle and a relatively rounded profile in the bow and stern…..and probably could benefit from a skeg if conditions warranted and you wanted to avoid correcting strokes in a long journey.
below is a picture on my night heron….similar in hull form to the guillemot….and 18 feet long. while i don’t use the skeg that often (it tends to track relatively well), in certain conditions, it benefits from some down skeg to make it easier to go straight. but with the skeg up, is very easy to turn with paddle strokes alone.
