Hi Warren, Depends on whether you're going to install the rudder as a crutch or as a tool. Will you really need the rudder?

If she wants a rudder for steering, then forget it. Have her take a few classes and learn to steer with paddle strokes. You don't need the rudder for this use (crutch).

For dealing with quartering seas, and confused chop, or confused winds, a rudder may or may not help. The Guillemot is a very maneuverable boat, and sometimes maneuverability is more of an asset than strong (rudder-induced) tracking in keeping a relatively straight course in large seas.

For dealing with weathercocking in less-confused seas (water is flat, but a big wind has kicked up) then the rudder may be just the ticket. Set the rudder angle to negate the weathercocking and paddle straight ahead.

If you're looking for a boat with more tracking (straight-line speed in calm conditions), then the Guillemot is probably not the boat you want. (I know, kind of late to tell you that, but the boat isn't built yet). The Great Auk might be the boat you'd want to build in this case.

If most of your answers point you to not needing a rudder, then just build the boat normally. If you exhaust all the other options and still want the rudder after a year of paddling, then just install it right on the end of hte boat. By the way, have you ever considered a skeg?

If you do intend to install the rudder initially, consider what type of rudder would you install? Feathercraft aftermarket rudder, or handmade? If it's an aftermarket-type rudder you might install, then I'd recommend making your stern form and inner stem more of a dog-leg with a 3" long skinny vertical surface, rather than tapering both to a point, like the plan shows. I think a tapered line would look better than a transom, but it's just my personal preference. If you want to build a handmade rudder, look at the rudder Nick put on his Fast Double.

I hope I don't come off as sounding rabidly anti-rudder. They definitely have their place, but they're also frequently used incorrectly, which leads to some pretty bad habits and inefficient paddling.

Shawn

: My wife insists on a rudder on the Guillemot I'm just beginning to build. I
: am just laying up the strongback, and thought that it might be preferable
: to begin with the rudder in mind and alter the stern conformation at this
: point rather than bucking it off later.

: Has anyone any experience on this?