Friday 4 January 2008

A rudder for row/sailing

A very interesting article on Duckworks Magazine this morning about John Hitchcock's St Lawrence River skiff that he rows and sails around New Zealand.
John sails his boat off the wind, using a small balanced lug.
He used to steer with an oar over the quarter, but found this unsatisfactory. He also wanted to improve tracking.
So he designed a neat 'clasp-knife' rudder that folds up when not needed. Control is by lines running from the rowing seat to a short tiller at the stern.
I am fiddling about with row/sailing arrangements and had come to the tentative conclusion that a rudder is more trouble than it is worth, but I may have to revise that opinion.
And I now want want want a St Lawrence River skiff, said to be one of the most seaworthy and rowable boats in the world, as well as being one of the loveliest. John designed and built his based on lines provided by a Canadian museum.

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