Re: [Paddlewise] Fore and aft trim

Like it or not, the debate has begun.

I don't make boats, I just paddle them.

My present boats don't have rudders, prior
ones did.

>From a consumer point of view:

Bad about rudders:
    They cost money
    They can brake
    They work by creating drag
    They get in the way of everything
        They flop around on the car-top and hit you in
        the head when you load and unload your boat.
        I paddle alone.  When I end up outside the boat
        I like to shinny up the stern and plop back into
        the seat.  That whole rudder, cable mess gets
        into the way (and hurts).
        Screw paddle floats, you can freeze
        trying to mount, inflate and work them
        while you try to hang onto your boat, paddle
        glasses or whatever  you forgot to tie down.

Good about rudders:
        Going a long way in one direction
        with any sort of cross wind my arm
        gets real tired from paddling mostly
        on one side.  I'm no athlete but I do
        get on the water 3-4 days a week
        and I still dread long straight shots
        with a cross wind.  All boats are bad
        in cross-winds, some just less bad
        than others.

How about:
    Airplanes have trim tabs.  That's
    all a rudder really does for a sea kayak.
   Couldn't someone make something
    minimal just to trim the boat to port or
    starbord for wind?  A little simple
    something(s) without all the
    cables, peddles, flopping mess of
    rudders?
----- Original Message -----
From: 735769 <735769_at_ican.net>
To: <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 1999 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Fore and aft trim


> Dan wrote;
>
>
>
> >John Winters wrote:
> >>
> >> ...<snip>...  Some of the old timers on this list may recall the
> >> rudder Vs no-rudder debate on Wave-Length in pre-Paddlewise. If
> >> I recall correctly the down-under contingent argued rather forcefully
> >> that the rudder accomplished this aspect of control more easily since
> >> one could not shift weight in the boat easily or as smoothly while
> >> underway but could steer easily all the time.
> >>
> >> I mention this not to restart the old pro and anti-rudder debate ...
> >
> >Yeah, right! :-)
> >
>
> Seriously, I did not want to start the rudder debate and I apologize
> profusely if I did. Just to prove it I refuse to participate.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
> John Winters
> Redwing Designs
> Web site address, http://home.ican.net/~735769
>
>
>
>
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