I have two or three boats into which I plan to install skegs. For practical reasons (access), they will be located farther forward than is the case with most production boats. Intuitively, this more forward position seems right, as the skeg would have less leverage on the boat and the amount of skeg deployed would be less critical. By that I mean it would be easier to get just the right amount of trim required for the conditions at hand. What I'm wondering is how different positions affect the tracking/edge turning equation. I will try to explain: when I'm surfing back downhill on a big day in one of my skegged boats, it seems that just a wee bit of skeg helps or reduces the broaching effect, but still allows the boat to respond to a lean or edging. Is this because when the boat is edged the stern releases somewhat and allows the chine or asymetrical shape of the immersed hull to initiate a carving action? If the skeg is located farther forward, might it not release? If the skeg is located farther forward there might be more skeg deployed to achieve the desired trimming effect than there would be if the box were aft.

One of the things that got me going on this was some research I did last week on Mariner kayaks. Though they're not in production any longer, there's still a great website to brouse. It seems that they were able to use a longish fixed skeg that solved all of the usual problems, but did not interfere with edged turns. To duplicate this effect on another boat would require some trial and error, and in the long run, it might be easier to just install a retractable skeg, but this tracking while flat, and releasing while edged thing that they achieved, got my little brain started...Any thoughts you guys?