I just finished a 17' Chesapeake with rudder and feel exactly the same way. I, too, have the same problem with the rudder cable catching on the sliding rail. I ground the heck out of the nut and am hoping for the best. Let's hope the cable doesn't wear through too soon.

The other problem I found with the rudder was that the installation drawings for the rudder did not match the assembly drawings for the kayak. The rudder drawings called for cutting several inches off the stern of the boat. When I called to check this with CLC, I was told to just "ignore those instructions, it isn't necessary with the Chesapeake." Stuff like that bugs the heck out of me.

Other than that, I really like my boat.

> I have mounted the Feathercraft rudder on my S&G and I really
> dislike the Feathercraft mounts. First the kit came without an acceptable
> wire mount to the wings of the rudder. All that came in the "kit"
> was a lock nut, bolt and washer. The wire was to be swaged to the
> bolt/nut/washer assembly without any type of bushing or protection
> for the wire around the bolt. Wear is apparent with just moving lightly.
>

> The foot pedals are mounted through the hull with bolts and the
> nuts provided. The "instructions" from CLC said to grind
> down the bolt. Okay. I completed that, and the bolt was flush with
> the nut. Unfortunately the clearance between the sliding rail and
> the fixed mount does not offer sufficient clearance for the 1/16th
> cable to clear the ground-flush nut/bolt assmbly. The cable on the
> sliding pedal is just looped through the threaded hole and that is
> sufficient for the mount. The problem is that the rail RUBS on the
> cable and does NOT move freely as I know that it should. I have already
> ground flush to the nut so the problem is with the system, instructions
> or CLC.

> Finally, the "instructions" from CLC recommend placing
> a block to support the rudder after it is pulled from the water. Okay.
> But that is the worst place to try and epoxy something on. The deck
> is already crowded with the control cables, retraction/deployment
> ropes and now to add the block, with epoxy, to the deck. The block
> and cradle are about 2.5" tall and there is really no easy way
> to connect the block to the shear clamps without getting in the way
> of the retraction rope. So I am left with a block epoxied to the deck
> that is 2.5" tall and will be broken off when it is first bumped.
> And the questions are:

> 1)What type of connections are others using with the cable/pedal/rudder
> horn?

> 2) Does anyone actually use a block epoxied to the deck?

> 3) How can something cost $179 and have such a bad, very bad,
> hardware package? Brian.

>