WS Sealution:repairing broken rudder

Hi all,



Some of you might have heard my tale of woe, which is presented here in brief: I live in Oklahoma, no kayak dealers anywhere close, drove 5 hours just to sit in a couple boats in the store, but no demo paddling, want to upgrade to touring kayak for large lakes with lots o’ wind. It could be months before I finally can go someplace where I can demo some boats, and even then, I really need to stick to used to fit in my budget. Boats on my list to consider are WS Tempest, Cape Horn and P&H Capella.



BUT: there is a WS Sealution with a broken rudder at a price that is low enough that I feel I could buy it now, sight unseen, and thus perhaps get out on the water sooner rather than later. So my twofold request for advice is:


  1. Sealution: this boat has mixed reviews in the review section. Me: 5’8", 190 lbs. Paddling to be used for: large lakes, needs to be able to handle wind and chop. I’ve paddled a rec boat for 9 months and am ready to move to a more touring boat and improve skills such as edging. I’ve taken a roll class and am learning (but have not mastered) to roll. Any feedback on this model and how well suited or not it would be for me/my paddling? Again - I know this is probably not the BEST boat, but if the price is right, could it be a GOOD boat?


  2. A broken rudder: a do-it-yourself project doesn’t intimidate me, but I don’t know how the rudder works on this boat, or how complicated fixing or repairing a rudder is in general. Any input on this?



    Thanks in advance for any input.



    Cheers,

    Lupe


WS, broken Rudder
Lupe,

One of my paddling regulars, Diane, had her WS Epic fall off the trailer, end of a trip last November. Broke the rudder “block”. Wilderness, damn them wouldn’t even return our multiple phone calls. I bought a Feathercraft Surf rudder ($113) and had my fabricator make a new mount and epoxy it into the stern. It all went together well, and paddles like new. My only complaint: Diane is still faster than I am!



I don’t know the nature of your broken rudder, but happy to offer you all the advice I can.



Peter McLaughlin

Plymouth, MA

trying to get more info on the rudder…
I’m trying to get more specifics on WHAT exactly about the rudder is broken, but haven’t heard back yet. Knowing how much it will cost is important, because if I’m going to have to spend a lot on a new rudder, I might be better off waiting for a “better” boat in the first place.



Thanks a lot for your reply…



Cheers

Talk to our friends
at Mariner Sails in Dallas. They should be able to give you some answers.