[Paddlewise] Flexible rudder-skeg-system

> About 20 years ago, when considering building a kayak for Joel Rogers
> (a kayaking photographer), I thought of trying to build a rudder that
would
> act like a fish tail (by making it thinner and progressively more flexible
> near the tip).

Funny !!! A few years ago, when DSV Seaquest was running in TV here (this
future Submarine-type), I was impressed on these little fish-like-helping
submarines. They moved by a fishtail.
I thought, this must be a great idea in a kayaks rear end. Think on an P&H
Icefloe where these massive integrated skeg is, if these would be flexible,
it could act like a rudder or like a mini-motor.

Hey Matt, nothing is really new, eh?

I made a little note and a wrote it down. But before I could tell it
someone, the next year Zoelzer in Germany came out with his new integrated
rudder-system. And now it comes....
It is a compromise between a rudder, a skeg and a far-away-looking-like
fishtail.
Okay, no real fishtail.
I´m not sure I could explain in a correct way. On his homepage must be a
drawing of it. Have a look at www.zoelzer.de
Think on these integrated rudder systems. But here is a peace of plastic
fitted with 2 straps beside, running over the whole rudder area. If you push
the pedal, the rudder flips out of its integrated box (hold inside by
elastics, the plastic not the box) and function as a skeg. Push on one pedal
(left or right) a little bit more and one strap will "screw" the plastic a
little bit, so it behaves like a rudder and looks a little bit like a
fishtail.

It is quite new and I think it´s not the end of evolution of this system,
but it works.
But, you need bit more pedal-way and its not so silend (some user told me),
and the straps are running throught the water :-( not ideal I think.
But it shows whats possible, if you get the right impression of nature.

bye
Jochen

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