1x Hard to turn

[pmrower]

My single resists turning big time. I have half a mind take my jig saw and cut half the skeg off. Got any better ideas guys?

[ltwtsculler91]

My single resists turning big time. I have half a mind take my jig saw and cut half the skeg off. Got any better ideas guys?

check your rigging maybe.

if not lopping off part of the skeg may not be a bad idea. start small maybe .5 or 1 cm to start and just guess and check until it feels good in small increments

[boston_1x]

2 things... 1) trimming the skeg gets done regularly in Boston... usually taking 1/2" off the bottom edge, then notching in from the back corner (parallel to front edge) & notching up from the bottom, to remove a V-shaped chunk from the trailing edge. be sure to file/sand the cuts so they're smooth; 2) I would suggest ordering a couple of spare skegs, then you can pop in a bigger one for sprint races, have a cut down one for head races, and have a spare if you screw up the cutting or lose one.

You might also try rowing with only the front half of the stroke arc when you are turning... go dead on the inside oar & just pop it along for just the front half, legs & abbreviated back, no arm, where the oar is best able to push the hull sideways. Stroke rate will pop up 3-4spm & you might see boat speed increase.

Or you could get a Van Dusen

[pmrower]

I like your trimming suggestion. Will start at the bottom (or rear) edge and see how it goes. And why does a VD turn so easily?? I'm almost convinced that it’s the submersed hull profile that resists turning rather than the little skeg...but maybe not.

[boston_1x]

Van Dusen hulls are narrower on the ends and more spindle-shaped than Filippi or Empacher.

But the skeg size does matter. Its simply width times height that you are pushing sideways when turning... so smaller skeg & use the top of the stroke to push the bow over.

PS - if you ever lose a skeg, you will see its relative contribution to keeping you on track... without one the boat fishtails with any uneven power applications. its very difficult to row. (same thing if you cut the skeg down too much)

[pmrower]

Got it. Will trim in small amounts.

[southernrower]

This may go into the idiot idea box. When we were kids and slalomed all summer, we used to take our slalom skis and drill holes along the edge of the fin. We got the idea from going to see slalom competitions and watching the better skiers use a template to drill various hole patterns into their fins. I cannot say I understand the physics but the idea was that the holes allow
better turning dynamics without sacrificing the ski's tracking ability around the buoy. Has anyone tried this on the skeg of a single?

[KiwiCanuck]

I take it you're rowing a river? Otherwise - a boat that likes to go in a straight line is a good thing. Isn't it?

What make? Do other users of this brand of boat have a problem? How long have you been sculling? What are you doing to try to turn "under steam"?

Is it the boat or the fleshy thing on top of it that's causing the problem?

How long a catch are you getting - a long catch with a little more punch from the appropriate leg can have more turning effect than trying to turn a boat at the finish.
Cheers
W

[MChase]

Also, are you talking about spinning a boat or turning a boat down a winding river. If you are spinning your boat, do you the typical "port to back, starboard to row" type of turning where you can turn on a dime, or do you feather one oar on the water and pull hard with the other to turn? The first will turn a boat more efficiently.

[Withoutmercy]

Move the skeg closer to the stren.

[pmrower]

Thanks all. I like the shorten the skeg approach best. Heck when I have to turn more than a few degrees I really have to rip on one oar to make the darned boat go around. And at race pressure a really tight turn almost unsockets my shoulders....