Pimp My Hydrovane?

[goeasy123]

The rudder shaft/post on a Hydrovane is incredibly heavy stainless steel. Has anyone considered making one out of lighter materials? E.g. you can buy off-the-shelf carbon composite tubing and rods, the right size.



Also, the rudder is a big ol' lump of polyprop to be man-handling around. This could be a lot lighter.


Any thoughts?

[Benz]

Light and strong together are expensive to make. Hydrovane chose strong while keeping to a price point. You could spend the money to have a lighter setup built, but I'd also spend the money to have it carefully engineered, just in case the weight is critical to operation (might have a damping effect; or need to NOT be buoyant)