I'm currently working on an integrated rudder for my OneOcean Cirrus. I was inspired by the Mirage Kayaks. Epic also have a cool system that incorporates a dropdown fin/Skeg.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tNQo7GXXEd4

   http://www.mirageseakayaks.com.au/2013-05-28-10-45-45/rudders

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=uHdnAudWBeE

Hybrid 550

My daughter built an integrated rudder system, to my design, in her 14.5 Shearwater Hybrid and loves it. That boat was judged "Best Kayak" at OkumeFest a few years ago, in part I assume because of the rudder design. Freya Hoffmeister, in her circumnavigation of Australia and her current bid to round South America used one on both her Epic and Point 65 kayaks. I'd say the ides has proven itself well. I'd be happy to share my thoughts and design ideas if you like at [email protected] ...   SEEYA Jack   

not a crazy idea at all....and have seen several treatments for home-builts....wish i could find the pictures....and will post if i can dig them up.

i paddle a west river 180 which is a long (18ft) performance touring boat that loves to go straight and have toyed a number of times with an Epic kayak-like integral rudder.

a couple thoughts.....

these work best on boats with little rocker where the ends tend to stay in the water and are not easy to turn to begin with.  not a great approach for boats that already have plenty of maneuvarability....where often its a skeg that is the right answer.

i would make sure the approach would not compromize the basic integrity of the hull if the rudder got damaged.  on the epic, for example, the rudder connection point is well above the wateline....so if somehow the rudder got wrenched out off its axle....or dropped out, the actual through-hull is well above the normal waterline and unless the failure ripped the end of the boat off....you would still be floating.

i have hesitated mostly becuase of the 'build hassle'. simply have not, when it got down to it, been willing to spend the time to do it and deal with all the learning that is likely to be involved on a one-off basis.  manufacturer's have the benefit of defraying the engineering and learning over lots of boats.

that said, would probably be a cool project....please post results if you do it.

   Thanks for the responses.  The Epic design is exactly what I was pondering.  Thanks for the links Craig. I think I have to scale down the size - what I was pondering may be overkill (too large) for what is needed.  Hspira & Javk - it seems the Mill Creek 16 would be a great candidate - almost no rocker.  I think I could keep the rudder post thruhull above the water line.  The trick is to make it light and bulletproof to withstand the inevitable inadvertant stern beaching

Epic's design is really cool.

   my design incorporates a vertical rudder post. However, rather than a rudder yoke on top of the shaft ( surfski style), I plan to attach some D brackets on to the side of the actual rudder located in the same position as the Mirage.

The vertical post arrangement will allow me to make and swap out different rudders very easily.

Don't hold your breath for pics though, I started the Cirrus in 2005. I rarely use a sea kayak nowadays since crossing over to surfskis. However, I have built a Pax20 surfski and a Kaholo since starting the Cirrus.

Cheers, Craig

read the threads on a recent discussion on the same topic on the kayak forum (where a lof of strip-built builders hang out.

http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi/page/1/md/read/id/227866/sbj/strip-anybody-built-a-swinging-stern-rudder/

if you check all the discussion you will see some good home-made examples like this

http://www.utsidan.se/albums/view.htm?ID=7763

   I've talked to paddlers with the Epic  at races and they like these rudders. Of course most of these folks are into going straight and fast.  Many of them also put whole boat covers on the boats before loading them on the rack.  The rudder, like a retractable skeg, is just a trim tab. It is not for steerage.  The paddle strokes and cutting an edge are still better turning techniques than a "rudder".  Most use the rudder to counteract a following tide, windage yaw  or wave action.   Blades that don't kick up can be a problem on deadfalls, sandbars, etc.