Re: [Paddlewise] aluminum , salt water & wood

Alex Ferguson wrote:
> 
> [RD]
> > How about wood?  I risk mentioning this because some people feel I have
> > a bias toward Kleppers
> 
> Some of us even make the whole kayak out of wood!!!!!

Alex, shhhh!!! I am trying to wean these folk a little at a time from
their blind belief in "modern."  Let's not jump ahead to ALL wood for
god sake!!!

> 
> > Wood is surprisingly strong and with just a modicum of care will hold up
> > well.  It has been said that if wood were to have just been invented it
> > would be considered a miracle material.
> 
> The term applied to plywood is the "miracle-bi-direction-
> fibre", grows on trees too.

Good...sounds real "modern."  Call it MBD fibre for short.

> 
> > Rather than foot pedals, do what some of the German boats do...have a
> > thick rod run across the width of the boat to act as a foot brace.  The
> > ends of the rod fit into holes or notches in side rails also made of
> > wood.
> > ..............
> > This rod itself could not work to operate a rudder.  But it is possible
> > to attach to the rod some pedal type pieces that would pivot forward
> > with slight toe action.  These would be attached to cables not
> > dissimilar to the way foot pedal operate rudders on the aluminum or
> > plastic foot controls.
> 
> "Good heavens!!!!" you've just RE-invented our rudder
> pedal system.

Hate to tell you that I have seen sketches of this concept dating back
to the 1920s!!!  
> 
> Make the pedals to the size of your feet, wider at the top,
> dropping down below the rod too, feed the rudder line to
> each pedal through a hole at the top outer edge, down and
> round the rod/tube and forward to a fixed point. You will
> now be able to reposition the pedal's rod without readjusting
> the rudder lines as they will automatically adjust.

Well, that is a clever approach.  Self adjusting.  Stirrup rudder setups
used in Feathercrafts and Nautiraids work on about the same principle of
a forward tie-off point but not quite as good as what you describe.

ralph diaz
-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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