I suggested a homemade PVC pipe mounted skeg for inflatable dingy rowboat.

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Squidly-Diddly, Dec 10, 2020.

  1. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

  2. clmanges
    Joined: Jul 2008
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    Location: Ohio

    clmanges Senior Member

    I had one of these:
    Small Plastic Boat | Canada & USA | Backwater Boats https://plasticboats.com/
    ... basically, every stroke of the oars was as much a steering stroke as a power stroke, sometimes worse.

    I bought a thin piece of steel plate and some aluminum angle and fabricated a kick-up skeg, a non-steering rudder, in effect. Had a line to lift it out of the water for beaching. I built it to attach through the existing motor mount bolt holes. Problem solved, and the boat still turned quite easily with it down.

    All the tools you need are hand tools for the hardware, a sabre saw to cut the plate, a drill (I used a drill press, but a hand drill will suffice). A file to clean up the edges of the plate, and some paint for the steel.

    Start with a bigger plate than you think you might need, because for your inflatable, you'll probably need a lot.
     
    brendan gardam likes this.
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