Both the tip and the shoulder of the blade should be aligned with the "trailing" edge of the shaft. This is so the blade will fit on the shaft. Although you do not get a rib at the shoulder, the shaft is still full sized. The rib reappears in the middle of the powerface of the blade and gradually tapers to nothing.

> Having troubles interpreting Nick Schades book instructions wrt. paddle
> construction (A top notch book by the way). Any experiences out there,
> Nick perhaps?

> My confusion comes at the stage when I am about to attach the blades to
> the shaft. The blade attaches longitudinally to the shaft, however, its
> orientation to the shaft is a mystery to me. The book includes a diagram
> illustrating the position of the blade tip and shoulder tip of the blade
> wrt. the leading and trailing surfaces of the shaft (My def'n of leading
> corresponds to the convex blade surface, the one furthest from the
> paddler). I have no problem with the blade tip position (blade tip flush
> with trailing surface of shaft), but the shoulder tip is also shown as
> being flush with the trailing surface of the shaft. Is this the intention
> ? This type of positioning of the shoulder would create no protruding rib
> on the trailing (concave) surface at the shoulder of the blade, a
> situation that seams to be shown otherwise in some of the photos.

> In general, how large of a protruding rib is desired at the shoulder (on
> the leading surface, and on the trailing surface) of the paddle?

> Thanks in advance...