Post pictures of your rudder assembly. I use two swages by each thimble. One in front of the pedal micro adjusters with a loop. Someone shrink tubing is good too over the rear cable by the thimbles.
FWIW… Isolating the cockpits might limit the bailing in certain situations. Think injuries or when singlehandling .
I think all the real tandem sea kayaks I know of have bulkheads that separate center section, bow and stern compartments.
A couple of ideas, tell me what you think…
I could take out the foot rests completely and install the second bulkhead at the right distance for my legs. Would 2" minicell glued in place take constant foot pressure without breaking the watertight seal?
If I did that and acquired a watertight hatch cover for the center hatch I would then have floatation in the center. The hatch cover was carried by TopKayaker, but it is out of stock right now. By email they said they might get more in later this year.
That would leave the rudder control to be dealt with. I could:
- Install the foot controls a bit father back and operate them by hand.
- Make the rudder so that it does not turn (left or right.) In this case it would operate more like a skeg that can only be retracted or fully deployed.
Advice or comments?
I have not used the kayak much, so I have not used the rudder at all yet. I have not had any trouble turning it without the rudder deployed. I was thinking that the rudder might help with tracking since the kayak does not have much of a keel and my paddling technique needs improvement (more practice.)
While a rudder can be used to turn that boat, its primary purpose, like a skeg, is to compensate for the effects of crosswinds and aid in tracking. The position of the rudder, all the was behind the stern would probably not function well as a skeg. Skegs are adjustable to aid in tracking.
Moving the foot controls would probably work. If you are properly using your legs to give you stroke more power, I doubt the 2" minicell foam would be strong enough. Moving the foot controls so far back that they must be operated by hand doesn’t seem like a good idea. For one thing, this would make using a spray skirt impossible. A spray skirt is an essential part of a sea kayak, not an optional accessory.
Minicell even 4" is not going to take foot pressure. You need the rudder to work with foot controls. More pictures of your plan would be better.
Yeah my point was I am not using the rudder to turn, which I understand is not reason for having it, that was why I ask if it were in a fixed position would it act like a skeg. From your answer it would not because it is too far back, behind actually, the stern.
I had forgotten about spray skirts, good catch, thanks. This is why I ask questions here 
@PaddleDog52 If the minicell will not take the foot pressure than the rest of the post above is moot…
So that leaves me at installing one permanent bulkhead behind the bow seat (watertight or not does not matter) and a temporary bulkhead (held in by friction) in front of the stern seat. This will take care of transportation needs. For floatation I will just add some kind of air bag when we do not use that space otherwise.
When I replace the rudder control system, I will determine if I can move the sliders back enough to install a bulkhead and still have a usable foot control rudder system. The rudder system will have to wait for now as I have plenty of other things that I have to buy for this kayak. To put a positive spin on it, I will have more experience by then so I should be able to make better choices.
Thanks everyone!
Rudders turn kayaks especially longer and heavier tandems deep in the water. That’s my opinion.
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They assist in the turn. Big tandems are a little like big barges without rudders.
Me?
- I’d move the foot pegs/rudder pedals back and / or shorten the rack.
- Install foam, 2 or 3" , with 3m 5200…
OR - or…I’d rebuild the hatch making it smaller, deck over the hole as necessary and put bulkhead where it should have been… BUT I build boats anyway.
The air bag suggestions woulld be the easiest to keep water out and provide more floatation.
I have installed both bulkheads. The full size one behind the bow cockpit is sealed in with Lexel so it should be watertight. The one in front of the stern cockpit is almost full size and is a friction fit only. It is only used during transportation and storage to provide additional hull rigidity. It has to be removed so that the stern paddler can reach the foot pegs/rudder control.
For those folks that don’t have experience, I will provide a brief overview.
First I made a bulkhead pattern, from the outside of the kayak using a ruler and cardboard. Making it in several parts and then taping the parts together is the easiest method. Here is the final pattern (half of a kayak.)
If you look carefully you can see I made the pattern in three parts (top, side and bottom) and then taped them to each other. After you assembly the parts try the pattern on the kayak (both sides) to make sure it fits.
Then I cut a inside pattern out of cardboard. I made this one smaller by the (assumed) thickness of the hull material. Here is that pattern.
This pattern is used to double check that the bulkhead will actually fit where you want to install it. Some people would say this is overkill, but cardboard is cheap. If this pattern does not fit properly you can adjust it as needed. For example the hull material may be a different thickness than you assumed, especially where the hull meets the deck.
Once you have the final pattern you can cut the foam bulkhead. Since the foam will compress somewhat and your cut may not be exact, I suggest that you cut the bulkhead a little bigger than your final inside pattern. Test your foam to see how much it will compress to help decide how much tolerance you have. You can cut the foam with a sharp kitchen knife.
I bought 2 inch thick foam from:
2" thick Closed cell foam (kayakoutfitting.com)
But there are many other places you can get similar products.
I purchased the Lexel from Lowe’s, they had it in stock. Home Depot did not have it. Here is a link:
Lexel 5-fl oz Clear Paintable Solvent Caulk in the Caulk department at Lowes.com
In the center hatch I inserted a partially inflated yoga ball to provide floatation and water displacement if the kayak capsizes or otherwise takes on water. The yoga ball only cost $2.50, so it was by far the cheapest option. Here is a picture of the yoga ball installed.
I was really glad I had installed my hoist system, since it made it easier to apply the Lexel to the top of the bulkhead. I just flipped the kayak over and hauled it up to shoulder level. Then I was able to stand up straight (important for us older folks) with my head and arms inside the kayak to apply the Lexel. In addition to the hoist I used some additional straps for security. Here is a picture.
Anyway, for all of you people that are new to this, like I am, don’t be afraid to try. It was not hard to do, just take your time and remember always measure twice, cut once.
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5oz was enough to do both sides of the new bulkhead?
I have some I need to seal up.
I also have a WS Tsunami that has a leaking bulkhead and they have a grey sealant, anyone know what that is and should I just use the Lexel over it or should I strip out what’s there and do new?
Lexel. Clean the surface of kayak, scuff the contact area with sandpaper. Then seal with Lexel
Lexel is in clear tube. Find it at Lowes paint department, $9.00.
I used less than half a tube. They sell it in larger sizes that will fit in a caulking gun, but for me it seemed like that would be difficult to use in a confined space. YMMV
I removed what could be scraped off and then applied the Level.
Good point here by grayhawk. If you were to figure out a way to make the center compartment watertight, you might want to run a length of hose through the bottom of it connecting the front and rear cockpits so you can bail the boat from only one cockpit. Without a watertight compartment, you could just punch holes at the bottom of the new watertight bulkhead.
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Thanks for the good idea!
Raosborne, I replaced a forward bulkhead in a 145 Tsunami by removing the old one and tracing it onto new foam. I like your idea, because the old bulkhead lost chuncks and tracing the pattern was a bit irregular. I used a ban saw and it worked perfectly.
I need to replace the rear bulkhead and will try the outside pattern. When I glue it in place, I may trace a line where the bulhead will seat, push the bulkhead back about one inch, load the area with Lexel, push the bulkhead back in place and hope it makes a more permanent seal.
I am sure a band saw would work great. The kitchen knife worked ok, just make sure it is sharp. And try to avoid up and down sawing motions with the knife, as it will tear the foam instead of cutting it. Using a smooth drawing motion works well. It would be best to practice cutting on an unneeded piece of foam first.
I just happen to give my band saw away recently 
I had not used it, so I thought I did not need it. Since then I have had several times that I wished I still had it. Isn’t that the way things go!
I understand. Everybody doesn’t have a bandsaw. I used sharp knives when I put bulkheads in my 140 Pungo Duralite. It worked well so I tried a bandsaw on the second one. I don’t have oneself, but fortunayely have access to my brother’s and one at a furniture shop where I work. It’s nice to have the skills to work on our own boats. Nice job with the patter explanation.