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droopy skeg

eriktheviking

Paddler
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
233
Location
Prince George, BC
I bought my P&H Cetus HV used last summer and put on quite a few miles. I put it in the basement for the winter and when I pulled it out now that the snow is receding I see that the skeg is drooping:
IMG_0062.jpg


I don't recall doing any nastiness to the skeg system but I do recall that on one of the last crossing I did last fall there was a stone lodged in there so I couldn't deploy it. That said I don't see how that would cause what I see here. If I pull in the control cable a bit the skeg is fully retracted.

I also see that the skeg controller box has a gap where the feed tube enters:
IMG_0064.jpg


and I don't have any good photos from last year that show clearly if this is a new issue or not. That said, is the above gap a problem, and if so is there advice on fixing it? I sent P&H an email over a week ago but not had a reply yet. I could just adjust the skeg cable by shortening it, but wanted to see if there was wiser advice.

TIA
Erik
 
It helps to consider that the cable sleeve is as important as the cable:

when you pushed hard on the skeg control during the crossing last time so much force was put on the assembly [because the skeg was fixed in place by the stone] that the sleeve broke away from the controller box as shown by about 3/8" [ 1 cm]. After you removed the stone the ONLY FRICTION to hold the skeg retracted in place is the friction at the controller housing and of the controller WHEREAS the typical situation is that the friction between the cable and the WHOLE sleeve holds the cable in place.

If you connect the sleeve back to the housing then the additional friction of the cable/sleeve system will come back into play [as usual] and the skeg is much more likely to be held in place.
 
What he said - looks like the controller box slipped rather than the cable stretched. As such, I don't recommend shorting the cable. You need to move the controller box back to it's usual place and "fix" it there (glue/fiberglass repair/epoxy, etc.). I'd wait to hear P&H 's recommendation and you might update them that the problem is the loose control box.
 
This looks like a rope control not a wire control. Adjustment is super easy. Either shorten the line at the Skeg end or the control end depending on the design. The tube only acts to provide a waterproof barrier in essence.
 
As that boat has a rope skeg, check the bungee that creates the tension to deploy the skeg. It is located around the skeg blade pivot point. Depending on the age of your Cetus, try moving the slider to the 'down' position and grab the skeg blade and gently pull it out of the box. The bungee may just need another knot tied in it, or it may need replaced.

I can take pictures of my Delphin's skeg out of its box if that would help.
 
How can you push on a rope ? Maybe that rubber seal was broken before the rock got lodged.
I think I can see evidence of prior repair to the black rubber seal.
Fix it, of coarse, but your problem is probably in either the rope length or a weekend bungee.
Also, check to see if the rope is the correct rope, and not a hardware store replacement.

Roy
 
............ If I pull in the control cable a bit the skeg is fully retracted.

..............I sent P&H an email over a week ago but not had a reply yet. I could just adjust the skeg cable by shortening it, but wanted to see if there was wiser advice.
I'm not familiar with that boat, but Erik indicated pretty clearly that it's a standard push cable, not a rope skeg.
 
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