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Martin Underwood
 
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Default Why is the rudder at the back?

This is probably an incredibly naive question, and I apologise if it's a
FAQ, but it's one of those things that I was pondering on in an idle moment.

Why is it that on all boats, the rudder is at the back rather than the front
of the boat? Is it:

- because a rudder at the front simply wouldn't work properly to steer the
boat?

- because a rudder at the back gives greater manoeuvrability, in the same
way that dumper trucks on building sites have rear-wheel steering whereas
cars and lorries have front-wheel steering?