On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 12:41 AM, <lucjdekeyser@telenet.be> wrote:
It took me a while to picture this without pictures but it is quite ingenious, if I pictured it right. I can see how it kicks up in one direction but fail to see how it does in the other direction, unless the whole axle kicks up.
It could be arranged to kick up both ways, but as the kite boat is likely to have the bow out of the water at an inconvenient time, there are rudders on both ends. Even if they did not kick up, they are only in use when you want to change course, so the chances of damage in a collision are reduced. I am mounting them on the side of the bows, with the axle on deck. The angle is about right, there are no holes in the boat and it is easy to see what is going on and change things.
Rob wrote:"It has a leeboard and a half round rudder in a case at each end. The half round rotates around a pin across the bottom of the case, which is set at 15 degrees off fore and aft. When it is up, there is nothing under the boat. When one is rotated up to 90 degrees, it protrudes beneath the boat at an angle and turns the boat. The other end turns it the other way. I will probably end up with 2 in each end as the bow is often airborne. Advantages are that nothing sticks below the hull except when you want to turn, it kicks up if you hit something and is pretty easy to build. Downside it you need 2, probably 5 cases."
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