range is limited with any gas-pedal style system, a function of simple geometry.
If the system is designed together, it can be fine. But rudders with wide wings combined with a short throw gaspedal will not have as much. And the gas pedal itself does not necessarily have to have a short throw - it is just easier to make it that way. (for example, I think the sealine gas pedal type system has a decent throw)
However in your case, I originally just suspected it might be designed that way because high aspect blades stall before low aspect - but on further looking at the picture, i notice the side wings are extremely, extremely small compared to other usual rudders! So maybe the prijon pedals just don't have a lot of movement to them after all. It would be interesting to compare the throw distance of the 3 decent models (seadog, sealine and prijon). I leave the seaward out as it does not self-adjust like the others.
Notice, because of the shape of the bracket and blade of the Prijon rudder, the blade pivots around it's center, as opposed to pivot being way in front of the blade. I believe it makes a noticeable difference in reducing drag.
Unless it changes the shape of the rudder blade, there's no reason for less drag. I think what you're experiencing is that you can't deploy the blade at too great an angle - which keeps the drag down.
Most rudders are easy to deploy at large angles - that just add lots of drag for no big benefit.
Ending up like the Bismark with a bent rudder you can't really fix on the go isn't a great prospect either.
this might not be completely fair as I have read on other forums of typical rudders getting over deployed or crunched and then having to awkwardly paddle for an extended period of time before getting to shore to deal with it. Can happen with any of those mechanical bits we use.
On the skeg-rudder, my main concern is hull damage around the box on impact.(cut)
Problem with neat pretty things that are meant to go into a neat slot , come out, turn, and go back up, is they don't usually work near as good once bent and field-straightened.
I think you're dead right on what you say above, however I also think that those concerns just have to be accepted if one chooses an understern rudder - whether retractable or fixed. There are many, many regular boat understern rudders out there that do huge service under many conditions for many different types of boats. One way of looking at it - that many of us have wooden kayaks here - and we take certain precautions to not have them bashed about as much as when we use our plastics - so it is not so much of a stretch to see someone exercising the same sort of restraint with an understern.
Like think of how unrestricted you feel in a plastic boat without a rudder of any type. How does your attitude change when you have a rudder on the back and you're around other yaks or rocks or close to shore? I think that type of attitude change would be natural with an understern.
obviously from the above, I love the
idea of understern rudders but sadly realize that they come with some unavoidable considerations.
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