Wow Bill-- That's the first rudder I've ever seen that doesn't detract from the appearance of the boat--the rudder mount is really beautiful (hmm...never thought I'd hear myself say those words, but now I have!)

Shawn

> This is how I approached the same problem I drilled a hole down through
> the endpour and epoxied in a bushing made from 1/4"ID copper tube and
> using Nick's plans from his book ( loaded with good stuff if you don't
> already have it you should get it ) as a starting point for pivot and
> steering line attaching points and made cardboard cutouts and hot glued
> them together to make a working prototype before transfering the pattern
> to a piece of 1/4" black ash, cut it out and epoxied it together and
> reinforced it with 6 oz fibreglass , with brass bushings in the upper and
> lower pivot point it all seems very solid. The blade is 1/4" black
> ash and is a little too wide but nothing that a few minutes with plane
> wouldn't fix I cut a groove in the top rounded edge of the blade with a
> round file for the lift line to follow, there is a second line attached
> opposite the lift line attaching point for downward pressure and tensioned
> with a 5/16" bungee there is a 1/8" bungee attached at a point
> part way up the lift line to keep tension on the line so it will stay in
> the groove in the top of the rudder blade so far it has been working ok
> for a few months now .I envy you guys with the digital cameras us poorer
> folk have to scan fuzzy polaroids.

> Later Bill