Ralph wrote; (SNIP) > >Perhaps you are right and it acts as a placebo for those kayak sailors >using one. But to a man, they report great results from using one. >This goes for those with years of experience and for relatively new >kayak sailors. Before I went out on a limb and calimed a placebo effect I would like to try one and flip flop from one to the other to see what happened. So many things can have an effect. For instance a rudder that flops around rarely feels as "good" or effective as one that is more rigid. Fortunately this rudder business has been studied to death by the sailing types. Even so a bit of disagreement exists. Some swear by skeg mounted rudders and some swear at skeg mounted rudders. At least they agree on most of the general principles of foil shape, aspect ratio etc. I suppose trying out more rudders should go on the project list for next year. (SNIP) Even though I fall into the anti rudder camp I believe that rudders could be better designed and built. And, as a consequence, more useful and more effective. I sailed a canoe a week or so ago built by a guy who has been sailing canoes for many, many years. It also had a low aspect ratio flat plate aluminium rudder. The rudder flopped around and felt mushy. I found it difficult to evaluate the boat when I could hardly feel anything through the rudder. I think rudders get a bad name because most have such poor shapes and rigging. Who knows, a really good rudder my convert me :-) Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Nov 18 1998 - 05:30:27 PST
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