Re: [Paddlewise] Fore and aft trim

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Hagen <dan_at_hagen.net>


<LARGE SNIP>
> In spite
>of this, I really do not like to use a rudder (or skeg) because it is
>*more fun* to paddle without one. Matt, why don't you add that to your
>list?
<SNIP>>
>Dan Hagen
>Bellingham, Washington
>
What follows is some parts of a letter I wrote in response to a Sea Kayaker
reader (and rudder manufacturer) regarding my critisms of rudders in the Max
review. I think it addresses your question, "more fun" is really at the top
of my list.

Dear Don:
Chris gave me a copy of your letter and would like us (and apparently some
others since we are both manufacturers) to fight it out on the pages of Sea
Kayaker
I’ve suggested just such a debate for years and offered to debate my friend
John Dowd (the former editor) on the subject. I felt his strong pro rudder
and unfeathered paddle stance in his influential book “Sea Kayaking” have
made both more popular than they deserved to be. Many new kayakers coming
into our store (we sell only sea kayaks and accessories) see that most of
the kayaks don’t have rudders and ask if we carry any sea kayaks, apparently
assuming that the rudder is what makes the difference between a river and
sea kayak (like most of the articles they have read say).
Sea Kayaker’s testers were so overwhelmingly positive in their review of our
Mariner Max that I had nothing worth responding to.  Their unanimous opinion
that it didn’t need a rudder allowed me to use the designers response space
to point out some of the disadvantages of a rudder. Most new kayakers in
America are convinced that the rudder will make kayaking something that even
they can do. Sea Kayaker wouldn’t publish any anti-rudder material in the
past so I saw this as my chance to slip a very limited (300 word limit)
amount past the censors. I edited like crazy to try to fit what I wanted to
say into the space allotted in order to “plant the seed” in sea kayaker’s
minds that not only are there are boats that don’t need rudders, there is
also a price to pay for using them besides the initial cost.
I was overjoyed when Chris told me about your letter and was thinking about
doing a pro/con article. Upon reading your thoughtful letter I realized that
we probably don’t have much to debate. All I can argue is that a really good
kayak design has very little benefit from a rudder and that almost all the
rudder systems I’ve seen around here have numerous problems that far
outweigh the few benefits.  Unfortunately, for our having a debate limited
to the merits of rudders, with most sea kayaks the benefits of a rudder
outweigh the disadvantages. Your argument seems to be that a good rudder
would have few if any of the disadvantages that I mentioned. Show me that
rudder I might buy it!  I’m sure I could design a rudder that won’t foul
fishing lines (a concession you made). I’ve thought of several possibilities
already.
I’m not anti-rudder on general principles. We even designed the sterns of
our kayaks so a rudder is easy to mount if a customer wants to have one or
to add one later. Almost none do. I have put considerable thought into what
would be some very unique rudder designs but, I have little incentive to
follow through with these designs because 90% of the kayaks we sell do not
have rudders installed (that’s about 98% for Mariners). We carry several
models besides our own but have been careful to pick hulls that handle well
enough that a rudder is of little benefit.
If you make a rudder system that has solid support at the balls of your
feet, is mounted forward of the stern (or won’t come out of the water in
steep waves for some other reason--I don’t want to limit its location, just
keep it functioning continually), is at least as damage resistant as the
rest of a solidly built expedition kayak, keeps extra drag to a minimum,
requires little or no maintenance, doesn’t hurt the maneuverability of the
kayak or its ability to travel through or back up through sea weeds and
kelp, is reasonably easy to mount, adapts to a wide variety of hulls, and is
reasonably priced, I’d like to market it for you in North America.  Even if
it only does the majority of the above I’d be interested.  What with my
supposed anti-rudder bias I’m in a great position to say “I’ve finally found
the rudder I can promote”.

You asked the key question: Why would you want to paddle a sea kayak without
a rudder? Well, to me its a lot more satisfying that way. I also prefer
swimming without socks, and kayaking without a reserve motor.
Why don’t you put a rudder on your river kayak? Surely you use your wave-ski
in worse conditions than wind and chop, why don’t you put a rudder on it?
Why not install one on your windsurfer? Probably because you do fine without
it and don’t need any more complications. I will dispute your statement that
it is easier to paddle with a rudder in wind and chop (at least as long as I
get to pick the kayak). My experience (and I have gone out in storms that
get names attached to them to play in the waves and practice) is that the
stronger the wind blows the more trouble a rudder caused me and the less
benefits it provided in compensation. This was true even in a kayak that was
benefited by a rudder in 5 to 20 knot winds and smaller following seas.
I figure you could add little rudders on the back of snow skis and run the
cables from your bindings to D-rings by your knees. I’ll bet beginners would
find it easier to turn their skis with this invention. I’ll also bet that
they would not find it as satisfying (or have as much control) as using body
English, edging and unweighting to control the skis and in the long run they
will have a lot of bad habits to break when they want to break their rudder
habit. I think training wheels on bicycles are a good analogy, they just get
in the way of learning. I prefer to keep it simple. One ride in a sea kayak
with a rudder is usually enough to convince most expert whitewater paddlers
to look for a responsive sea kayak that doesn’t need one. I find most
rudders to be overcontrol devices that operate on a delayed feedback loop.
They disconnect you from the direct “seat of your pants” control of the
kayak. Because of the feedback delay they must be constantly adjusted to
hold a (slightly zigzag) course. This is more noticeable the stickier the
mechanism, the more slack in the system, the less resistance in the system
and more maneuverable the underlying kayak is. Smooth even resistance in the
system and a kayak that tracks well but not too stiff works best (but then
that’s true without a rudder too). I find rudders destroy the fine control I
have with just the paddle and tilting the kayak. For example: I sometimes
run my sea kayak through some slalom gates set up nearby, without the rudder
I can thread them with less than an inch on each side. With a rudder down I
need a whole lot more room between them to avoid hitting a pole. That’s one
reason you don’t have one on your slalom kayak, back surfing is another.

I’m not of the opinion that the Eskimos way or any old way is the best just
that I have a lot more fun controlling my kayak without a rudder and feel
sorry for those paddlers dependent on them. I’m not preventing anyone from
using a crutch to walk or a rudder to control their kayak if that’s what
they really want. I just think new paddlers are being sold a bill of goods
“Look its so easy all you have to do is push the foot forward on the side
you want to turn towards anybody can do it even a klutz like you.”  Heavens,
we will even put it on for them and make more profit if that’s what they
want. Actually I usually have someone else install it and don’t make the
profit because I’d rather not be blamed for the problems the customer may
later have with it. We stand behind our kayaks 100% so it pains me to
knowingly provide a customer with potential problems.
We only want kayakers and potential kayakers to know that it is possible to
do without a rudder and want to provide kayaks with very little use for a
rudder to those who would like to try it that way. The option is always open
to get a rudder and we will do it for about the same price later as it costs
extra to have it as original equipment. Very few customers ever have a
rudder installed later and many of them thank me later for showing them
another more satisfying way.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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