[Paddlewise] Rudders

"I also agree that the sealline system has some serious shortcomings,
especially the fact that it retracts vertically and not flush with the rear
deck. This is a recipe for disaster in even the smallest surf, because the
rudder will be mangled on the bottom if the kayak flips over.  It's also a
problem for cartopping and for carrying the kayak.  For such an expensive
system, I would expect much better in at least this aspect."

snip....

I am not sure if you have looked at this system, but the blade is very
different from usual rudder systems because it is much smaller.  The pivot
point for the rudder is lower than a conventional system so consequently it
does not have to drop down as far.  When the blade is retracted it comes up
from the lower pivot point and it is shorter so it doesn't stick up very far
at all.  I didn't measure it but it didn't extend much farther from the deck
than a conventional rudder.  It has less surface area so there is less wind
drag when it is up.  Take a look at the link, it explains the lower pivot
point and smaller blade.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/sealline/smarttrack_bladehousing.asp

The other thing I liked about the system was that the blade has a spring
that causes the blade to retract if you forget to take up your rudder when
you get into shallow water or get into heavy bull kelp, less chance for
damage and no kelp hanging off the rudder. You can set the blade for
different tensions. -- MZ

website:
http://members.home.net/mzuschlag

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