REVIEW:
The SealLine SmartTrack Rudder System - 
Fixed
foot braces with rudder control by Tim Walsh
NOTE:
We now stock rudder
kits for a variety of kayaks. Take a look at our full selection of
kits and replacement rudder parts at Tom's Top
Kayaker Shop - RUDDERS
The nay sayers of rudders in the kayaking world have long argued rudder
systems that require sliding foot braces to control the rudder sacrifice
much needed energy and overall kayak control for the sake of a poorly
executed turn. They have also lamented that rudders, due in part to their
primitive design, create excess drag making for a wearier paddler at the
days end.
The SealLine SmartTrack Control System, a system with solid foot braces
and toe operated rudder control, claims to have remedied those ailments
and created a rudder system that has many advantages over existing systems.
The design, created by Manatee Design, has even won the 2001 Industrial
Design Excellence Award which is sponsored by the Industrial Designers
Society of America, and Business Week magazine.
While fixed foot peg rudders systems have long been the norm in flat water
racing kayaks and some sea kayaks manufactured overseas, this is the first
system, from North America, designed to be retro-fitted to existing kayaks
or as the equipment on new kayaks. When I caught wind of the opportunity
to do a trial installation and operational test, I jumped at the chance
to try something this innovative.
Upon picking up the demo kayak, a Northwest Kayaks Synergy and the SmartTrack
Control System I headed home to tackle the project. As I opened the box
and started pulling out parts and pieces, nightmare visions of the “assemble
it yourself” barbecue grill I tackled last summer started streaming
through my mind.
My fears were quickly extinguished when I discovered all packages were clearly marked and the accompanying packing list provided me a quick check list of the ½ dozen or so components and parts bags.
I was immediately impressed by the fact that each component of the system had its own set of clear, concise instructions including clear graphics and a contact phone number for further information.
Though I was provided with a 12 page “Instruction Notebook” intended for use by Certified Installation Centers, I chose not to use this source of information as I wanted to see if the installation could be performed by the “average backyard mechanic”.
The
system is comprised of three major components: the Vertical Adjustment
Plate used to adjust the height of the foot pedal from the bottom of the
kayak and is also a slick way to allow the use of existing foot brace
holes for retro-fit installations; the Toe Pilot Foot Control which includes
the foot brace, associated toe pedal and side rails; the Blade Housing
which includes the rudder and associated hardware. All parts and pieces
appeared to be of stainless steel, plastic or some other material resistant
to the corrosive ocean.
At first I wasn’t sure with which end of the kayak to start, but
after spending 15 minutes or so studying the instructions and another
15 minutes disassembling the existing rudder system I began with the Vertical
Adjustment Plate. The instructions state most people will prefer to have
the foot peg portion of the system 3-4 inches lower than the existing
foot bracesto allow comfortable operation of the Toe Pilot Foot Control.
For my size 11 feet, I found about 1 inch lower to be adequate. Using
the pre-drilled holes in the Vertical Adjustment Plate, I simply attached
a Pilot Foot Control and its associated Side Rail to each of the two Vertical
Adjustment Plates, using the supplied hardware, at a height I felt would
allow me to operate the Toe Pilot while resting my feet on the pegs.
I
then attached the combined Vertical Adjustment Plate and Toe Pilot Foot
Control assemblies to the kayak, aligning the pre-drilled holes in the
Vertical Adjustment Plate with the existing holes, from the former foot
peg assembly, in the kayak hull. I was fortunate enough to be using a
kayak where the existing holes in the kayak matched those in the Vertical
Adjustment Plate. One beauty of the SmartTrack Control System is that
existing holes can be used and if they do not match with the Vertical
Adjustment Plate, the needed hole(s) can be drilled in the Vertical Adjustment
plate itself thereby alleviating any stress the “do it your selfer”
may feel about drilling holes in their kayak.
The next step in the process was to install the Blade Housing. At first
the four pages of instructions look a bit intimidating until you realize
that they are written to include the three, most common, existing rudder
installation methods and so only a portion are appropriate for a given
retro-fit. The Synergy had a Rear Mount system with a bracket that is
bolted to the flat stern of the kayak. Removing the existing bracket and
installing the provided SmartTrack bracket was a snap using the existing
holes in the stern of the kayak.
Once
the bracket was mounted, I routed the control cables, which arrive attached
to the Toe Pilot Foot Control, back through the existing cable housing
to the tiller plate on the Blade Housing. To attach the cables to the
tiller bracket I used a nifty device SealLine calls a Cool Rudder Wedge
(CRW) that made the process quite painless compared to other methods I
have seen employed.
In
fact the CRW is itself, a revolution installation of rudders. The trick
to installing the cables was to have someone else sit in the kayak and
operate the Toe Pilot Pedal while I kept the Rudder Housing straight and
they provided feedback as to proper tension. The instructions provided
great insight into the best position (angle) of the Toe Pilot Pedals depending
upon the foot ware the paddler may use. Fine adjustments can be made at
the slide rail on the cockpit end of the system.
The
final steps required installation of the rudder into the Blade Housing
and attaching and routing the rudder cord. Installing the rudder is a
bit tricky, but again the clear instructions made the process go smoothly.
Unlike other rudder systems which require the paddler to give a mighty
heave on one of two cords to deploy the rudder, the SmartTrack uses a
coiled spring, which is imbedded into the rudder, to facilitate deployment
of the rudder. When installing the rudder, a Tension Control Knob is used
to set the correct tension on the spring. The single rudder control line
is connected to the rudder using one overhand knot wedged into a slot
in the rudder. It is then routed through a couple of eyelets on the rear
deck and to a cinch cleat beside the cockpit at a convenient position
for the paddler. The instructions warn that the knot must be flush or
it will interfere with rudder operations. I did find getting the knot
into the slot to be a bit of a hassle even after following the suggestions
provided.
As I stepped back to view the completed installation, I was amazed how,
unlike the barbecue project, there were no extra pieces on the ground,
no multiple trips to the hardware store and during the whole installation
process, only PG language was used. Overall the installation went quite
smoothly and is definitely a project that can be accomplished by the endeavoring
paddler with basic hand tools.
Now that I had the SmartTrack System installed, it was time to take the kayak out on the water and see how well it performed. After all, the proof is in the paddling. Before heading out on the water I considered the different aspects of a rudder system that would be important to the user, contrasted them with the claims of the manufacturer and with the known functionality of rudder systems that have been in existence for some time. I decided to pay particular attention to: ease of operation and control, functionality and performance, and overall durability and reliability.
This
system uses one rudder control line and a spring coiled inside the rudder
to deploy the rudder. The same line is used to retract the rudder. As
I paddled away from shore I reached down to pull the control cord from
the cinch cleat to deploy the rudder. There was a satisfying “thunk”
as the coiled spring sliced the rudder down into the water telling me,
without a doubt, that the rudder was down. Cruising forward I spotted
length of kelp. Paddling over it, the rudder slipped up, then back down
with a softer, yet just as reassuring, “thunk”. Paddling over
other obstacles, even unseen rocks slightly below the surface, provided
the same positive results. Reaching to the control line to retract the
rudder back to its stowed position, I gave a light pull and with little
resistance the rudder slipped up and stowed in its vertical position.
While a major portion of the rudder is surrounded by the Rudder Housing,
the rudder does stow in a vertical position. The vertical position looks
a bit peculiar, though of more significant concern may be of what will
happened when a kayak is rolled over in a rough shore break or even surf.
The vertical positioned rudder may be either broken off or the housing
may be damaged to a degree that the system is inoperable. At a minimum,
it will be a shin biter on the beach.
One
claim of the manufacturer is that the foot braces can be adjusted while
seated in the kayak. Though most kayakers who use the same kayak on a
regular basis usually set the foot braces to a comfortable position and
never move them, the easy adjustment will be beneficial to persons who
get into an unfamiliar kayak and don’t get the adjustment quite right
the first time. It will also benefit kayak rental organizations where
there is frequent adjustment of foot braces as clients come and go. To
prove the ease of adjustment, I reached down beside each leg, grasped
the adjustment bar and pulled the each Toe Pilot Control back one notch.
Each assembly slipped back and locked into the next notch with ease, however
the springs that are supposed to hold the Toe Pilots in their forward
position did not seem to do the job and the Toe Pilots tipped aft. This
was easy enough to overcome by pushing the Toe Pilots back forward, to
their appropriate position, with my toes.
When
foot braces were adjusted to a comfortable position, I started to focus
on the systems primary functions, tracking control and turning. Most existing
North American rudder systems require the paddler to push on a foot peg
which is attached via cable to the rudder. The foot peg slides in a track,
pulls the cable, and turns the rudder. The SmartTrack System uses fixed
foot braces on which the paddler can brace his or her feet and small toe
pedals, attached by cables to the rudder, to turn the rudder. SealLine
refers to the toe pedal as Toe Pilots. As I paddled, I started making
turns by pressing the Toe Pilots forward, on the left or right, to turn
the kayak. I was surprised by how little deflection was required to turn
the kayak. Kayakers who are familiar with other rudder systems may feel
the need to “kick” the rudder hard one direction or the other
to attain full deflection; however I did not find this necessary. To perform
extremely sharp turns, I found, as with all other rudder systems, it more
effective to edge the kayak and use a sweep stroke... with the SmartTrack
System the fixed foot braces provided the solid control necessary to execute
this type of turn. Another significant advantage of the fixed foot braces
employed by the SmartTrack System is transfer of energy. When paddling,
much of the energy put forth by the paddle stroke is transferred into
moving the kayak forward via the foot pedals. If the foot pedals slide,
as in most other rudder systems, there is a significant loss of efficiency.
With the SmartTrack System I quickly noticed the power I gained with the
stationary foot braces.
Drag
has long been a nemesis of rudders and as long as something is trailing
in the water, there will be drag. However, the hydrodynamics of the SmartTrack
rudder were tested at the University of Washington and SealLine claims
their rudder is 25% more efficient than the standard aluminum rudder available
on the market. I was provided with two of SealLines’ rudders, one
high performance rudder made of composite materials and one standard rudder
made of a high density plastic. I installed the high performance for most
of the testing and only switched to the standard to determine any difference
between the two. With the kayak empty and the rudder trimmed to neutral,
both rudders were very quiet and drag was unperceivable with either rudder.
Once I began to execute turns, I could definitely feel the drag and hear
the rudder in the water, however I was not able to sense whether it was
less than any other rudder nor was I able to perceive any difference in
performance between the standard and the high performance rudders.
As most sea kayaks are intended for some level of touring duty, I put 50 pounds of weight in the stern of the kayak to simulate a fully loaded kayak. The turning performance of the system was predictably degraded though the kayak was still maneuverable and I could easily track in a slight cross wind. One side effect of the additional weight, on this kayak, was that the Rudder Housing drags in the water, making a gurgling noise and increasing overall drag.
Equipment
malfunction or failure can plague any sporting activity and kayaking is
no exception. Fortunately, kayaks do not have any moving parts other than
a rudder or skeg, if so equipped. The primary challenges of a reliable
rudder system are its resistance to jamming from sand or gravel and how
easily field repairs can be made in the event of failure.
I tested the SmartTracks resistance to sand in gravel in two areas, one
was the Rudder Housing and rudder itself and the other was the Toe Pilot
Control and associated side rails.
When touring in kayaks, the kayaks are often turned over on the beach
in the evenings to keep out moisture and various critters. When the kayaks
are turned, the rudders are often driven into the beach gravel, especially
if turned solo from the bow. Another way sand or gravel can become lodged
in the rudder assembly is during landing in rougher conditions where the
waves or surf are churning up the sea bottom. To test these scenarios
I scooped up a couple of handfuls of sand and gravel and poured them over
the Rudder Housing. I then lightly rinsed the material off and paddled
out letting the waves do the rest of the cleaning. When I released the
rudder it fully deployed, this time with a grinding noise and without
the resounding “thunk”. I retracted the rudder and attempted
to deploy it again. It stuck a bit, but did drop into position after working
the control line a bit. On the final attempt to retract the rudder it
would not retract. I paddled to the beach to investigate and found a few
lentil sized pieces of gravel were lodged between the rudder and the housing.
I quickly dislodged the gravel and the system was again in operation.
While
it can be the more extreme situation, surf landings or even landings with
significant wind waves can result in a cockpit full of water sand and
gravel. To test this scenario, I tossed a double handful of sand and gravel
into the cockpit, sloshed it around a bit and then rinsed it out by sloshing
sea water around then pouring it out by overturning the kayak. I then
paddled off shore to see how the Toe Pilots operated after experiencing
a bit of grit. Though I could feel the grit in the system and they did
not feel as smooth, they did rock forward allowing the rudder to turn
with ease. The other moveable portion of the system is that which allows
the Toe Pilot Controls to adjust fore and aft for different leg lengths.
Reaching into the cockpit and grasping the adjustment bars, I was initially
able to slide the Toe Pilot Control assemblies fore and aft a short distance,
but not the full range of motion. After sliding the braces forward to
the position that fit me, I paddled around a bit and then back to shore
and rinsed the kayak out again. While on shore, I attempted to slide the
assemblies back and forth and they would not move. After more rinsing
with sea water and multiple attempts to dislodge the assemblies, I headed
home to investigate the problem. Cleaning the sand and gravel out of the
system required full removal of the assemblies from the boat which required
one end wrench and a phillips screwdriver. After using a garden hose to
clean out the tracks, one assembly still would not operate. Upon further
investigation a small piece of grit, which prevented the rudder cable
from sliding through the Toe Pilot, was found and removed at which time
the assembly operated fine.
A fixed foot
brace rudder system, available to the paddling masses, is long over due
and the SmartTrack System is a quantum leap in the right direction. The
System performed very well in my first two areas of concern, but did not
fare as well in the third. It installed easily, was simple operate and
adjust while underway. More importantly, it did a fine job of providing
tracking control and turning while supplying rock solid foot braces for
more secure boat handling. I felt the reliability challenges I met with
the SmartTrack System were due in part to its precision engineering. When
a couple of pebbles or a speck of grit can bring a well engineered system
to a standstill, a more rudimentary solution may be more desirable.
Related
Articles & Links:
NOTE: We now stock rudder
kits for a variety of kayaks. Take a look at our full selection of
kits and replacement rudder parts at Tom's Top
Kayaker Shop - RUDDERS
- Read this before you invest in a rudder "When To Get A Rudder And How To Use It"
- How To Install A Rudder On A Sit-on-top Kayak by Tom Holtey This serves as a suppliment to the Yakima/Perception rudder instructions and provides insight into rudder installation for other kayak brands.
- For some
additional information on the use of well-nuts please read:
"The Basics of Strap Eyes, Rivets & Well'Nuts"
Books: - "SIT-ON-TOP
KAYAKING, A BEGINNER'S GUIDE"
by Tom Holtey - "TANDEM SIT-ON-TOP KAYAKING" by Tom Holtey
© 2008
