Dyer Skeg Dimensions

[GMC]

Ended up with a skegless Dyer Dinghy 7'11". I'm putting it back together and thought I would cut new skeg myself instead of buying one. Does anyone know the dimensions for the skeg? I know it has a handle cut into original, but I don't need the location of that as I'll skip the handle. If anyone has one and can give me rough dimensions, I would appreciate.
Greg

[JohnRPollard]

Hi,

I happen to have one right here in my hands -- a replacement that will get installed in a few weeks, hopefully.

It is essentially a long, narrow right triangle, with the right angle radiused (rounded) in by about 3/4-1".

Take a piece of suitable wood (mahogany, teak, etc) and cut it to a rectangular shape with dimensions 30 3/4" x 3 3/4". Then cut it down the diagonal -- the hypotenuse (the side that will attach along the underside of the hull) should now measure out at about 30 7/8". But measure carefully, and don't forget to factor the kerf of your saw blade.

You now have two skegs - a replacement and a spare!

We went with a thickness of 1" for our replacement -- to beef it up a bit. But if I recall correctly, the original is 3/4" thick.

We also used the router to cut the hand-hold, which I wouldn't be without. It is very convenient when lifting and flipping the dinghy.

Good luck!

P.S. I can take some photos if it would help.

[GMC]

Excellent, excellent. Thank you captain. I've got a photo. Thanks, again.
Greg

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by GMC

Excellent, excellent. Thank you captain. I've got a photo. Thanks, again.
Greg

My pleasure.

I should have added, that when cutting the diagonal, it is best to begin about 1/8-3/16" in from the corner, and also to aim for about 1/8-3/16" in from the opposite corner. This way, you will not end up with a real flimsy/pointy tip end. Does that makes sense?

[JohnRPollard]

Addendum: Thinking about it some more, I would probably just use a piece of wood that is 31"x4".

This will give you plenty to work with (kerf-wise) and allow for that diagonal-cut off-set I described immediately above. You can then get it down to just the right size (the dimensions above in my first reply) and soften the edges by rounding over the outside edges (not the hypotenuse) with a 3/8" round-over bit and router.

Sorry about the foggy memories -- I made this skeg seven or eight years ago when my brother was making one for his Dyer too. Our existing skeg didn't need to be replaced at the time, so the replacement has been sitting here on the shelf.