Rudder s to fit a South African buildt V10

Does anyone know of rudders that can be used on the old South African built Epic V10? On the new hull of the V10 the angle is different. Making the rudder gap in the front and hitting in the back. I could modify the new one but would rather not go that route.

My question would be does anybody have any old but Epic rudders for sale or know of an equivalent that will work.

Hi,

try Orka paddling if you are anywhere near Cape Town. I am sure that they can make one for you.

Rudder angles, in fact the rudders have not changed from the new to the old V10, only the shaft lengths have varied slightly.

If your new rudder is a Titanium shaft you will have a problem bending it to fit but the S/S shaft rudder can easily be tweaked to fit.

I generally have to sand a little off either the front or back of the rudder to fit a new rudder to an old V10 but not very much, a millimeter or two max.

I'd love to agree with you but I did try two new Epic rudders, a weedless and the regular (see pic). Epic themselves told me that the rudders are different and that the angle is too far to bend the shaft. The only option they said was to cut the fin at the base so it would be flush with the hull. Then epoxy it. Before I go that route I'd like to see if there are any other rudders out there that don't have to be modified.

I made at least a half dozen rudders and am tired of it. I was using a fiberglass rod since I had no titanium lying around. While they work they probably not as streamline.

FYI - in Florida, USA


PS Thanks Ranga _ may end up doing that.

My first post, so I may be way out of my league here, but have you considered contacting Jude at Huki? He has 8 mm stainless steel shafts available ($45) and also has a custom rudder option for $155. Of course for that you could buy 2 Epic rudders and file them down, but just another option. I have no affiliation.

Thanks John, I agree with your assessment.

The situation is taken care of. Picked up an Epic rudder today. This one's angle wasn't as bad as some. Bent the shaft and put a nylon washer to raise it a tad. It's a little stiff and we'll see if it will be an issue on a paddle tomorrow. Anyway...

It'll do for now. Now off to make a bullet for the venturi.

3 observations:
- I dont think you need the nylon washer if you simply clamp the T-piece a little higher on the shaft. Gravity will keep the rudder from contacting the hull.
- As far as bending the rudders, I have bent my steel shaft epic rudder as much as you show in the picture, and done it several times without problem
- I always have a weedguard in place, so a leading edge gap is not that big an issue for me

I guess my issue was being gun shy. My old rudder hit so many logs and debris that I had to bend it back so many times that the guts became mush and no matter how much epoxy I oozed into it it just failed. I didn't want to start the bending process all over (flashbacks). But I did and am happily paddling. Yes, I will ditch the washer soon enough.
The gap in the front isn't really ever my concern. It is more the tailmost part of the fin catching on the hull and not letting me turn smoothly.

My first attempt at a bullet (attached). Thought I'd try to make it follow the contour of the venturi. I'll probably try a couple versions.

I was thinking that it would be neat to have the bullet on a slider of sorts that would allow it to be pulled closer to the venturi to seal the drain. So many people like to have the option of closing the drain.