: I've paddled an 18X for two years. Nice boat overall - except the rudder.
: Lots of drag. Will not hold a straight line on the face of even the
: smallest waves. Read the SK Mag review of the 18X Sport and they confirm
: the rudder/tracking shortcoming. Epic is planning a retrofit some time
: next Spring. At the moment I have a wood/glass under-hull rudder taped to
: the little rudder "nub" to improve tracking. Thinking about
: trying to retrofit a Van Dusen over the stern rudder. Much to like about
: the 18X - not the rudder IMHO...

Timely post. i just came up from my workshop having sketched out a pattern for my integrated rudder project. Do you think a longer "nub" on the rudder would fix the problem? i purchased metre of SS rod for use as shaft material so that i could build a range of rudders so any suggestions on shape are appreciated.
cheers