Douglas Diehl wrote:

Thanks for the great info. Perhaps Dan thinks rudders don't belong on
outrigger canoes as well. The ruddered canoed canoe will be used on
the upper Moose and West Branch in the Adirondacks. There are
countless really tight turns which bring the paddler back into the
direction they started from.

I know you didn't want to get into the pros and cons, but since you made
a backhanded response to Dan, I'll comment. This is USENET, after all...

Outrigger canoes are designed go long distances in straight lines.
That's why they have rudders, to go straight, not to turn. Putting a
rudder on a Magic will not make it do "really tight turns."

I don't care if you put a rudder on your canoe or not, but you should
know what the rudder will and won't do for you.

Steve

(Eric Nyre) wrote in message . com...

While I don't agree with the idea, here is a way to do it.

The easiest rudder to retrofit will be a SmartTrack system by Cascade
Designs

http://www.seallinegear.com/smarttrack.asp

To run the cables and mount the bracket, you will probably have to
grind out, then re-install the rear floatation chamber on your Magic.
Other than that, it is a very simple bolt-on application.

The SmartTrack rudder is not a full flip up rudder like on some sea
kayaks. It flips 180, not 270, so it sticks straight up in the air. On
the canoe, it will stick up out of the way without bashing, jamming,
or jackknifing against your hull (which is why I suggest it over other
rudders).

Toe Pilot Foot Controls (footbraces) $99.95
Rear Mount Blade Housing $104.95
Rear Mounting Bracket $19.95
Foil Blade (single) $24.95 (tandem) $29.95
Cable Tubing Kit $24.95

You are looking at $274.95 for the parts.

There are cheaper systems avaliable. Seda www.sedakayak.com will sell
a Feathercraft retrofit (fits Seda kayaks, and can be modified to fit
a canoe) for $195. You can also take the SmartTrack system and switch
the Toe Pilots with Yakima ($34), but the Toe Pilots are worth it,
they are good.

Personally I would go the SmartTrack route, because it will be the
cleanest looking installation. Just about any rudder kit can be made
to fit.

- Eric


--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA