DIY Folbot Kayak Rudders

Folbot kayak rudders attach to sea and sit-on-top kayaks. The purpose of a kayak rudder is to steer the boat. Control of the rudder is accomplished with a foot-steering arm. The steering arm is attached to the rudder with cables. A kayaker pushes forward on the arm with his right foot to turn the boat to the right; pushing forward on the left arm steers the boat to the left. Folbot rudders are designed to automatically retract in shallow water. When the kayak runs aground, the rudder swivels up and parallel to the hull of the kayak. Installing a Folbot kayak rudder yourself is simple.

Things You'll Need

  • Monkey wrench set
  • Socket set
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mount the aluminum bracket of the rudder assembly to the kayak bulkhead. Invert the bracket so it resembles an up-side-down tee. Place the tee against the bulkhead and align the holes of the bracket with those of the kayak's bulkhead. Slide bolts through the eyelets of the bracket, into the bulkhead and out the back -- toward the bow of the kayak. Place washers on the bolts and secure them in place with hex-head nuts. Tighten the nuts and bolts with a monkey wrench and a socket wrench.

    • 2

      Attach the steering arm to the bulkhead bracket. Slide the center eyelet of the arm between the top and bottom eyelet of the bracket and align the three holes. Put a washer on the bracket pin. Slide the pin down through the three eyelets, put a washer on the bottom of the pin and secure it in place with a hex-head nut. Tighten the nut with a socket wrench, holding the top of the pin with a monkey wrench.

    • 3

      Mount the rudder on the stern of the kayak. Four vertical-facing eyelets on the mounting bracket of the rudder correspond with two eyelets on the kayak's stern rudder plate. Both pairs of rudder eyelets wrap around one of the two corresponding stern plate eyelets -- like a hand wrapped around a fist. Align the six eyelets vertically.

    • 4

      Align the center hole in the rudder arm with the top eyelet of the rudder plate. Put a washer on the rudder pin followed by a wing nut. Slide the rudder pin down vertically through the hole in the rudder arm and the six rudder and stern plate eyelets. Place a washer on the bottom of the pin and secure in place with a hex nut. Tighten the hex nut with a socket wrench.

    • 5

      Attach the two rudder cables to the rudder arm of the stern plate. Slide one cable through each of the holes found on the opposing ends of the rudder arm. Tie a double over-hand knot in the end of each cable to prevent them from sliding back out the holes. Run the cables from the outside of the kayak to the inside through the eyelets on the gunwales -- the top, outside edges of the kayak. Slide one cable through each eyelet on the ends of the steering arm. Tie double over-hand knots to prevent them from sliding back through.