: Thanks for the heads up.
: I like the LightSpeed rudder partial deployment skeg option.
: Most of my paddling needs a skeg more than a rudder.

: I couldn't find any really good images of the Light Speed rudder,
: but I think I get it. It's basically a skeg on a rod that once
: the whole skeg is below the keel slot, can be turned and used as
: a rudder.

: The control wire would pull the rudder back into alignment as it is
: retracted.

: It also has a lot less volume and parts than my idea.

Just to be sure you don't mistake me, the type of rudder that you have drawn is termed a drum rudder and your basic concept is fine. Its drawbacks are 1) lack of kickup and 2) requirement of a flat hull mount to reduce drag when rudder is angled.

The Lightspeed reference was to show the similarity in layout to the Thommasen approach, however the Lightspeed approach is smoke and mirrors: Bjorn uses a large shaft housing that intersects with the blade housing - this works and will allow full deploy and retract (I just wish he'd round off the angled blade cutaway so that the blade could 'carve' itself back in the slot if the retract is just off a bit). However the Lightspeed shaft hangs BELOW the hull in a tunnel so the blade when ' retracted' is still fully below the hull in the same large tunnel depression that you can't see from a straight side view, heh heh. My original point to Dan is that the layout is the same (but the understanding and execution is on differing planets).