> I'm in need of some advice. I will be soon ready to join the deck to the
> hull, but I'm still waiting for my rudder kit to arrive and would have
> liked to install it before joining them. And I really don't want to stop
> production waiting for it. How tuff would it be to install the rudder
> system after the kayak is joined? Please help!

> My self imposed Deadline of May 1 2000 is looming closer

You could make your own rudder by then. Maybe you should just cancel the order and save your money!

otherwise, call the rudder company and politely ask them if there are any considerations you should attend to while the deck is still off. (Then complain about the slow shipping)

If I was thinking far enough in advance, I'd probably glue a block of wood to the inside of the deck near where I expected the rudder to be mounted. Then I would have something solid on which I could attach the rudder assembly.

If the manufacturer could fax a template for the mounting holes, you could put in this under-deck reinforcement with better accuracy. You night even be able to drill some oversized holes that you could fill with epoxy (sealing the ends of the wood grain), and then redrill to size once the rudder finally arrived.

hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson