# $5 Kayak Rudder--- U-build in a half hour.



## captken

If your yak doesn't have a rudder, you are workingtoo hard, enjoying yaking less, and catching fewer fish than you could be.

I've built 2 different types and have most of the bugs out of them. No special tools are needed to build either of them and you don't need to butcher your yak to install them. This is an easy one hour or less project. 

I've built 1 for my SIS Heritage Featherweight Angler and 1 for my Emotion Mojo. I built and installed another on a Cobra Fish N' Dive and made $50 on the project. If anybody is interested in a rudder for their yak, I'll post pics. These rudders will be shown in 2 of my E-books.


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## YakAttack

Sound great! I'd definitely like to see some pics!


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## Framerguy

Hey I'm up for some photos and some hints on what you did, Capken!!

And how does one find your e-books??

I am about ready to post some photos on a night light that I built for my 'yak. It is basically on a piece of schedule 40 pipe and I had a local machinist bore out a regular inline PVC fitting for the light since it was just a hair larger than the hole in a 1" coupling.


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## captken

It is raining cats and dogs here and has been most of the morning. I'll check to see if any old photos will show enough. I can at least post enough to pique your interest.

Rudder for rod holder. This installation is in my old Heritage Featherweight Angler.

Straight ahead.









Steering to port.









Rudder tilted when not needed. It will also kick up if it hits a rock or bottom.










Rudder removed.










The only tricky part of the whole build is removing the stop in the coupling so that the steering handle and rudder shaft can pivot. All you need is a wood rasp or a round file.


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## captken

Ok, lets make a steering rudder for a SOT yak. This installation is on my Emotion Mojo. it is steered with a 300# test Monofilament loop that goes around a pulley right by my leg.

Notice 3 lines going to the rudder. One line on each arm of the rudder post and another through a Bimini top eye on top of the rudder post. The end of the mono is knotted inside each of the pipe caps on the rudder post. This mono is routed forward and around a pulley by my right leg. Pulling or pushing on the mono steers left or right. The center line is used to raise and lower the rudder. The rudder will pivot if it hits a rock.

In the first photo, the rudder is in the down position.










Here is the rudder tilted up.










These are old photos but I think most peple will be able to build a rudder from them.


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## Linda

Damn clever . If anyone wants to try this with the propulsion fins of the Mirage drive of Hobie's, let me know. I gottwo old ones i upgradedfrom that would probably make great rudders.


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## Firedawg

That is awesome!!!


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## JRG24

even if you wanted a "real" rudder you could buy a rudder blade from a hobie dealer for less than 30 bucks and install your own mechanism for it. sure beats the hundreds some shops will charge you. i do have a rudder blade if anyone needs one...the stock hobie mirage one. pm me if interested.


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## snivlem

hey, as a newbie, what benefits does a rudder provide for SOT yaks and fishing from them?


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## captken

A rudder allows you to control your angle of drift. 

When fly fishing, I set my rudder a little to one side then use my tiny paddle to scull me along with no noise and no flashing paddle blade.

Paddling into, with or across wind is easier with a rudder

I can spin my boat practically in its on length simply by putting the rudder hard over.

When you have a big fish on, you can set the rudder to one side and put a lot more drag on the fish.

IMHO, every yak needs a rudder. I made my rudder far larger than most yak rudders. I get great response at slow speed.


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