Thanks to all that have replied. I will try to explain my situation and ideas better and hope it don't sound like the horse led to water, but wouldn't drink. Most of my fishing will be and has been on Lake Bistineau, a cypress flooded swamp.
JEM said:
How about a rudder controlled with foot pedals (like a kayak) instead?
Or you could install some bolts stick out the back of your transom and fabricate a skeg that you could hang off the back and remove as needed.
Just a couple of ideas.
I tried a temporary skeg clamped to the transom. Results were inconclusive, and it was troublesome to take it off in shallow water or when loading the boat, etc. I wondered about a foot control rudder, but my boat is too heavy and cluttered already. I wanted to keep things as simple as possible. I would try this again if there was a simple design that could fold up or move out of the way easily.
keith said:
I say use a anchor or trolling motory later keith
The trolling motor helps recover my position easier after being moved, because only one hand is needed. Where to mount the motor is a separate problem I haven't solved yet. I will try the anchor idea. Usually only make one or two cast at each tree, but letting the anchor up and down at each tree may be what has to be done.
bearridge
bearridge said:
why not jest fish where the wind takes ya? [grin]
That would be the shore, under somebody''s pier, wasp nest, etc. (grin)
Jimmy W
Jimmy W said:
You could make a leeboard that pivots from a removable thwart or that clamps to the gunnell and raise or lower it as needed. That way it could be located at the center of effort of the wind on the boat.
I will have to get back to you on this. I don't know what leeboard or thwart are.
My goal for this boat when I built it was to keep things as simple, easy, and hassle free as possible. I did not want any motor (repairs, maintenance), nor trailer (lights, flats, bearings, inspections, tags), electronics (blown fuses, lost data, dead battery), or any of the other "joys" of owning a boat. I have not reached that goal completely, but I am having fun trying.
Has anybody had a boat without a keel strip and then added one? Was there any significant improvement with the wind problem? Is a boat with rocker more affected by wind than one with little or none? Most discussions I have read about keels pertain to tracking issues. Is the wind problem common to all designs of small boats or is mine worse?
beekeeper