Two Things

Alright, let's talk seriously about all this business.
First, I want to say that there is an immense satisfaction in building anything.  To make is to tap into a deeper sense of ourselves.  That we use tools is what sets us in a higher order of nature.  That we use tools to make boats might be evidence that we take things too far sometimes.  Still, it is satisfying to make anything which we can then use.
Second, if at all possible, anyone attempting to make anything should find someone else to finance it.  Which I did... sort of.
Miller High Life is doing some sort of promotion where they will sponsor anyone living the high life.  If you go to their site, you can sign up for sponsorship and they will send you a contract and a check.
The details are on their site here.

I did it, and they fulfilled their end, so I guess I'm sponsored.
                                      

So, from now on I will try to include a can of High Life in my images.  A small price to pay for a corporate sponsor, I think.  I would also have more publicity if I would get on Facebook and do that business, but I won't.   I don't mind selling out to a beer company, but I draw the line at social networking.  A guy's got to have some standards.

Anyway, the other thing I wanted to post today was my rudder.
My pictures looked bad, but here are the images from the post that got my attention:

I found Ryan on the rivermiles.com forum in the buy/sell/trade section.  He was making these for a little over a hundred bucks, and to me that was a deal.  It's expensive in some respects, but considering how much of my time and money it would take to make one myself, I think it makes sense to go this route (besides now that I'm sponsored I can splurge).

In any case, that is one less thing on the list.  Today I am sorting out the gearing between the two shafts and should have a pretty good solution by the end of the day.  I will lose a couple of days for a reunion and travel, but will be back on it soon.
Stay tuned.