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1. 

   KnotSynced
   Member

   I have had rudders on kayaks that I never used. My problem with this boat is the wind will not let the boat track downwind. It turns the boat into the wind and this is the most powerful weathercocking I have ever experienced in a kayak.To fight this I use sweep strokes on one side of the boat. My speed drops and then the boat feels very unstable. By putting the rudder down it keeps the wind from turning the boat. I can paddle to move the boat rather than putting a lot of energy into keeping the boat on track.

   My boat is 21 inches wide with a very round bottom profile. Without speed, it feels very unstable in chop.

   A lot of this is just getting used to how the boat handles conditions. They are all different. Each one I have had has its great qualities and its qualities that require experience to overcome.

   Just never had a rudder dependent boat before.

   Posted 4 years ago #
2. 

   KnotSynced
   Member

   Greg and Cwolfe,
   I am using the rudder more like a skeg. The boat does not need rudder going into the wind. I deploy the rudder and set the foot pedals with the rudder mostly straight. I don't use the foot pedals to steer.

   I think both of you described the problem when taking about the rudder eliminating the need to use steering strokes. The first time I had this boat in chop, it did fine against the wind. Going downwind, I had to only paddle with sweep strokes on the port side of the boat. It made me very tired and frustrated.

   I have always heard being dependent on rudder means lack of skill and rudders are a barrier to gaining skill. I never needed a rudder on my prior boats. This boat is a different animal. I definitely lack the skill to paddle this boat downwind without a rudder or a lot of frustration and feeling unstable. Maybe a lot of time in this boat will change that, but with the EC in 47 days, I am glad I can use the rudder to cheat!

   Posted 4 years ago #
3. 

   BeastOarman
   Member

   Do what you have to do, this is a long race.

   Posted 4 years ago #
4. 

   KayakVagabond
   Member

   KS,

   There are a lot of racing kayaks and skis that are very rudder dependent, for better or worse.  The racer's philosphy is best summed by by Greg Barton:

   According to Greg Barton from Epic:

   A well designed rudder will add less than two percent total drag to a kayak. In comparion, modifying your stroke to correct or maintain your course results in anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent forward power loss. Very minor corrections will result in five percent to ten percent less power than a fully efficient forward stroke (Barton, 2009)

   The expedition kayaker's mindset is often different, that eventually any rudder/skeg will break or jam, often at the worst possible moment, so the kayak needs to handle safely without one.

   Greg

   Posted 4 years ago #
5. 

   KnotSynced
   Member

   Greg,
   I have several plans on getting to shore without a rudder. Don't think this will be a huge problem. One plan is tough it out and head to shore. I am yet to get dumped out of the boat by a following sea, just really frustrated to keep on course and feeling uncomfortable with stability.

   I will carry spare parts and be very careful to protect the rudder.

   Thanks for sharing the rudder repair video too.

   Posted 4 years ago #
6. 

   BeastOarman
   Member

   Greg, sorry for the long delay. I weighed the sponsons yesterday and came up just shy of 6 pounds total for the pair. This includes the 2 metal mounting posts which I did not want to remove. They might be 4 oz each.

   Posted 4 years ago #
7. 

   KayakVagabond
   Member

   Beast,

   Thanks for taking the time to weigh them!  I'm looking more for stability when stopped (pulling a jacket over your head, etc) so I might first look at ways to secure the paddle as an outrigger with a solid float, etc, if I use a less stable kayak in future events.

   Greg

   Posted 4 years ago #
8. 

   BeastOarman
   Member

   Makes sense.  For rowing, for that purpose I took an old flyrod tube (2" clear plastic) and shove a handle in each end.  Works like a tightrope walker's pole.

   With an eye towards multiple uses, maybe some light plastic container with a big mouth that can be used as a bailer (without lid) or (with lid on) your stabilizer or even like a traditional paddle float.

   Good luck, something fun to work on during the summer!

   Posted 4 years ago #

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