: Can anyone help me locate a keel-mount rudder kit? I'm building my 5th
: stitch-and-glue kayak and want to install a keel-mount rudder like those
: on K-1 boats. Ideally, a retractable keel mount rudder is what I need, for
: the shallow Florida coastal areas.

: The kayak design is intended for open water racing. Below the waterline the
: hull is similar to a surf ski, and above the waterline the kayak has
: sufficient volume to handle rough water. Dimensions are 18' X 18".

: Any ideas for rudder suppliers or construction techniques?

for the kit pcs, if you look at some of the rowing shell suppliers, i've seen hardware like lines, rudders. the foot brace/steering arm is so simple you can do it yrself as easy as any kit.

assuming you'll be doing way more training than racing why not do both? mount a slip pin regular kickup rudder for training and screw ups, but bring the lines close together(5in or so) say 1/6 from the end and mount a removable racing rudder there.

when training pop out the racing rudder and put in the regular, when racing the reverse.

if want to really save wt, use the one set of lines only to the racing tiller(? - whatever the cross pc on top is called), and another set from that tiller to the usual 'tiller/rotator' at the very end.
then you can remove everything back.

the racing rudders just seem to get all bent out of shape from normal wear and tear

a guy i yak paddle with did this with most of the oc-1,(2 also, can't remember?) boats at his club as the upkeep on the regulars was so high.