Dave do you have any photos of the rudder install on your shadow? I have a rapid-fire and am thinking about a rudder. I am doing the mr340 and my only concern is weather cooking.
Thank you!
not sure you will get Dave… Haven’t heard from him lately. When the wind is quartering stern I find that using a single blade ( short Bent shaft) on one side works best. Also carrying a little more weight in the stern.
You might ask over on canoetripping.net about making or installing a rudder. There are some good DIY geeks there who could help.
I’m a 340 veteran, and hope to go again this year. Your best bet for this question is on the 340 Facebook page. Lots of helpful folks, and the rudder question is one that comes up often. It has come up here before, and there’s usually the standard responses of “learn how to paddle better, j stroke, I’ve paddled my whole life and never needed a rudder, etc”. It’s a little different when going 340 miles straight through (or as close to that as you can), and the wind can be bad.
A lot of folks use a SmartTrack or something similar. I’ve got a homemade setup on my Minn II that only goes on for the 340, although I did use it for last years South Dakota Kayak Challenge. It helps with the shoulders. A lot of this post talks about adding weight, which is something you’ll want to avoid if you can. Over 340 miles, every bit of extra weight adds up.
NH Paddle
Although the prevailing consensus suggests that I don’t know how to paddle and wouldn’t benefit from a rudder if I knew how to sweep stroke, heel or trim my boat; six years and hundreds of miles of paddling have convinced me that the rudder on the Shadow was a superb notion.
Having been an enthusiast and racer for over 60 years, the utterings and judgements of the “purists” no longer hold much sway for me.
Good luck in mr340.
Wrong Dave! my bad…another poster in the thread is Dave too
Paddling technique is an asset but for long miles it is tiring to have to keep correcting… My MR Monarch is my go to tripper for big water and long distances and the rudder is an asset in crosswind and cross current. Out on Superior with no shelter at hand because of cliffs literally every second can make a difference the way that lake changes its mood. I am not doing 340 miles anymore hats off to you.Thirty is plenty. 20 even better.
River Dave is that a Feathercraft Kit? I was thinking of putting that one on the Monarch instead of the kidney rudder but forgot where the bookmark is.
Been paddling for a long time too
Late to this one but I had a Wenonah Voyager that was a weather cocking pain. 17’, straight keel.
Putting a cover on it helped but I finally sold it to a friend who paddles mostly rivers and swamps where wind usually isn’t an issue.
For a cross wind I want the boat trimmed neutral, which may mean kneeling in the middle of the boat I I I would trim the boat in a neutral position which would mean kneeling in the middle of the boat or in front of the single seat. Feathering the paddle may help.
A couple of years ago I took 2 friends out for a test paddle to check their experience level. I knew there would be some afternoon winds. This day the wind really came up, steady 20 knots. My friends gave up and walked back to the put in. I was paddling my Old Town Guide 18 solo. I moved in front of the middle thwart to paddle into the wind and went to the double bladed paddle. Oh the sacrilege. with some effort it was possible to control the boat and paddle back to the put in. Trim is really important.