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I don't think the hard-core folks here would call what I'm doing "rafting", but I'm looking for a particular accessory and figured you guys would know.
I got a "six-person" inflatable boat which in practice holds about 3 people:
Solstice Voyager 6-Person Inflatable Boat Pool Toys & Inflatables
because I can't afford (and can't practically transport around) a boat for 3 people, unless it's the inflatable kind. And, I like paddling it with a kayak paddle instead of the oars that come with it, since the kayak paddle takes less energy and I can see where I'm going. However, since the raft sits on the surface of the water, it swings quite a bit to the right and left each time I'm paddling with the kayak paddle on either side. (I assume this doesn't happen with a canoe because the hull cuts further into the water.)
It seems like the raft would swing side to side a lot less when I'm paddling, if I could attach a rudder (which wouldn't even have to be moveable for steering, just a flat piece submerged in the water to stop so much back-and-forth swinging), or simply something that could be folded out and mounted on the front of the raft to make a pointy end like the front of a canoe. This guy says he saw a huge performance improvement after attaching a homemade rudder:
Rudder Design for Inflatable Boat
Does anything off-the-shelf like that exist, which could be attached to an inflatable boat?
I got a "six-person" inflatable boat which in practice holds about 3 people:
Solstice Voyager 6-Person Inflatable Boat Pool Toys & Inflatables
because I can't afford (and can't practically transport around) a boat for 3 people, unless it's the inflatable kind. And, I like paddling it with a kayak paddle instead of the oars that come with it, since the kayak paddle takes less energy and I can see where I'm going. However, since the raft sits on the surface of the water, it swings quite a bit to the right and left each time I'm paddling with the kayak paddle on either side. (I assume this doesn't happen with a canoe because the hull cuts further into the water.)
It seems like the raft would swing side to side a lot less when I'm paddling, if I could attach a rudder (which wouldn't even have to be moveable for steering, just a flat piece submerged in the water to stop so much back-and-forth swinging), or simply something that could be folded out and mounted on the front of the raft to make a pointy end like the front of a canoe. This guy says he saw a huge performance improvement after attaching a homemade rudder:
Rudder Design for Inflatable Boat
Does anything off-the-shelf like that exist, which could be attached to an inflatable boat?