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Fitting a native watercraft rudder
On opening the box you realise how
comprehensive this rudder kit is every nut bolt and washer is supplied I fitted this kit to the manta 12
The only tools
you need are a few small drill bits a pair of pliers a heat source for shaping the cable liner and a 6 inch nail.
Above shows the comprehensive kit
First job is to remove the 2 bolts from the rear of
the kayak and fit the bracket in place .
Using the supplied hinge pin fit the rudder assembly in place then secure
with the hinge pin and cotter lock pin.
On the manta ray kayaks all the positions for the various fittings are
marked with a small circle which is in the moulding so there is no measuring just locate the markers and away you go above
shows the fitting of the rudder control line there are 3 of these clever fittings the each is attached with a rivet
On the inside of the rear carry handle fit the small retaining strap this is
needed when transporting the kayak so the rudder stays in place when travelling
On the rear of the kayak drill and thread the rudder control wire casing
through the kayak then with a heat source flare the end of the liner so it can not pull inside the kayak when fitted tightly
I used a 6 inch nail and a small burner to get the shape I wanted on the liner
Once the desired shape has been achieved pull the liner through to the
desired position try to not have any slack in this liner as any slackness will affect the smoothness of the rudder when in
operation
As you can see the rear liner now pulled in to place with the main control wire
threaded and secured to the main rudder arms
The above photo shows the main control wire attaching to the supplied foot rest
straps via crimps note the cable liner end flared and tightly in position
The rudder shown in the transport position note how the small bungee is
used to secure the blade.
The fitting of this rudder kit took aprox 1 hour to complete once all was fitted I added a little
Vaseline to the main control wires just to make it slide easily through the control liner tubing and
Article by Terry Jackson
(zebra)
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