: hi,

: have you considered limiting the rudder angle to a reasonable
: value? Some of the unpleasant effects of a rudder may well be
: due to it being instinctively kicked too far when something
: happens quickly. I did this last august and found it beneficial,
: especially reducing the braking effect. Limiters can easily be
: made adjustable, and removed entirely if they don't please you.

: greetings,

: risto

Hi Risto,
I suspect that you are referring to an overstern type rudder. Modern surfskis have understern rudders. They are long thin boats that are not really designed for quick turning. The image below shows some typical configurations. These boats are suitable for fast flatwater paddling but their primary design function is for fast downwind paddling. The various rudder shapes all serve their purpose but I would not expect to see anything other than a surf rudder in open ocean conditions. an overstern rudder such as used on a sea kayak would be totally inadequate.
the rudder I have for my project is classified as a universal rudder.
[IMG]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p23/CraigMel/WeedlessRudder.jpg[/IMG]

cheers