So far I like this rudder. It does help me keep the boat in trim when I am sailing or single blade paddling. It is very strong. and the depth is shallow enough that I can bump right over logs or back up onto the beach without trouble.
But when I really turn it, I can hear the water churning and I know it is acting more like a break than a foil. I'd like my boat to glide like and airplane not grind through turns like a tank. So I'm thinking about how to reduce the drag. One way would be to use a thicker material and shape a NACA 10 cross section into the rudder. A simpler way may be to re-cut the profile shape along the bottom to give it a more swept back profile instead of the swept forward profile. Sweeping the center of area back may make it a quieter shape, but it could reduce the area too much and make the rudder less effective. Also it would change the balance of the rudder, but I don't think that will cause any problems on a tiny kayak rudder.
Right now it looks king of like a dinosaur head. Do you think I should chop it into a more traditional swept back rudder shape?
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