how do you use the rudder on a Wilderness Systems Cape Horn??????

I got this great 15’ boat, used, through my local outfitter. I figured out how to adjust the footpegs, but can’[t figure out how to use them to control the rudder. What the heck am I missing here? My 17’ Perception Sea Lion simply has the footpegs go loose and control the rudder once the rudder is down. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALP!!! The Cape Horn does seem to track reasonably well without rudder, but my experience with the Sea Lion is you need a rudder or you will drive yourself nuts and sprain things trying to keep it from weathercocking.

Has someone installed one of the sets where the foot pegs are fixed and there is a separate toe piece that controls the rudder? Take a look inside.

I rarely used the rudder on my composite Sea Lion/Eclipse 17, but on it, the rudder peddles slide forward when pushed and the opposite peddle moved rearward (toward the paddler) at the same time.

The other common approach is as Celia suggested, where the rudder is controlled by pushing the top of the peddle forward, while the bottom portion of the peddle stays in place, like a gas peddle in a car.

@Yanoer said:

  1. the rudder peddles slide forward when pushed and the opposite peddle moved rearward (toward the paddler) at the same time.
    If the above pedals the rudder cables may need adjusting.

  2. the rudder is controlled by pushing the top of the peddle forward, while the bottom portion of the peddle stays in place,

If this kind of pedal, but you have the locks “unlocked” so the whole pedal (s) can move you will not have rudder control. The locks fix the pegs and lock the cable to the toe pedal.