Patrick,

When you say "skeg box" are you referring to a "fin box"? Assuming that you you are wishing to forgo attaching the fixed twin fins that come with the kit and are opting to put in a fin box that will allow you to remove and use an assortment of fins depending on conditions and performance desires I will tell you it is well worth the extra effort to put one in. I recently completed my Kaholo 14' with a fin box and am thrilled with the results.

After asking around I came up with a solution that gave me a solid and extremely light weight structure that not only served as a fin box foundation but also gave me the ability to lay in a leash plug. Here are some photos to give you a basic idea what I did. If you'd like more details, ask and I will post them on this thread.

Cheers!

Dan Bright

Nice job Dan.  I plan on doing the same with my 14.  There is also a "traditional" SUP handle with built-in vent available from FCS that I plan to use for a cleaner deck.

Hi Dan,

Whoops- yes, I meant to say "fin box." You can tell what terminology I'm more familiar with. Yes, I'd love to hear all the gory details about construction and also how you decided on a single fin rather than the two (or three, for that matter).

Thanks,

Patrick

Thanks Patrick for the props on my board. So, yes with a fin box you open up a wide range of possibilities for paddling a wide range of conditions. The fixed twin fin that comes in the kit looks nice and is well thought thru but limits the conditions you are bound to encounter out there. I have paddled my Kaholo in conditions that without a deeper fin (Chuck Patterson "Thresher" in this case) I would have been struggling. I also use a Wahoo 6.75 for flatter water, smoother conditions. 

The construction, once I figured out what I wanted/needed to do, was easy actually. Should I build another board, the fin box reenforcement will be a great side project to work on while waiting for the epoxy to set elsewhere.

For what it's worth: Here's why I went with the 24" center strap: it allows for greater versatility when carrying, lifting, positioning, manuevering the board whereas an intigrated handle, while seeming "cleaner," requires a more precise grab and greatly limits the range of the balance point. I store my board on mounting dowels on the wall and car top it to my launch spots. Having the strap is soooo much more functional. The strap doesn't interfere with footwork at all while paddling either. I work at a kayak/SUP shop in Florida and can testify to the limitiations of only having an integrated handle to grab the boards we move around. Those with a strap (high-end Bark boards) are much more user-friendly in that way.

Okay, back to the box. I used 6, 3.5"x12"x0.25" pieces of balsa glued them together between 2 pieces of extra ply that is provided in the CLC kit. The ply pieces follow the shape of the tailblock to make it solid. I laid in a Bahne 10.5" fin box. It has seating tabs that are cut off once that box has been glued in. This assured a flush, level position.  

If you'd like more specifics feel free to email me at [email protected].  It'll be easier to send additional photos and info that way. 

Hope the info helps. Cheers!

Dan

This all sounds great Dan- thanks for sharing. I’ll email you offline for some additional pix if you have any.

I’m pretty ignorant to the effect of different sizes and configurations of fins. Can you enlighten me? What’s the difference between the two rather shallow fins in the Kaholo plans and the larger single fin in your setup?

Thanks again,

Patrick