Reviewer:

J. Murray

Rating:

5

Date:

11/29/2012

Review:

Awesome, installed on my Dagger Cayman, with some minor fabrication, and it works flawlessly. This is potentially a difficult install for some people, especially on certain makes/models of boats like mine, but well worth the effort.

Reviewer:

davidinwakulla

Rating:

5

Date:

9/27/2012

Review:

My Hurricane Expedition was rudder-ready which made the installation pretty seamless, however the attachment bracket included with the rudder kit had holes that were spaced way too far apart for my rig. I had to drill a hole in the hard stainless to make it fit. Ive had the rudder on for about a dozen trips on rivers now and am amazed by how well it has held up to sever conditions for a rudder, branches, brambles, logs etc. I am also very pleased with the design and function. It enables me to keep on track in a strong river current while snacking, drinking or viewing through binocs. It also allows me to concentrate on stroking when going upstream as I can course correct with the rudder rather than having to compensate with the paddle.

Reviewer:

David Daberkoe

Rating:

5

Date:

8/31/2012

Review:

The kit is excellent, although the rear mount plate holes did not match up on my Hurricane Expedition; no problem drilled a new one in between the plates existing holes. I was not sure if a rudder would improve the issues I was having or not. I was hoping it would: A Help control direction when paddling upstream in a river. B Minimize/prevent directional drift when taking a break from paddling C Allow me to train the vidcam on a subject without the need for constant paddling corrections. The rudder has been fantastic for A & B so far. I have not had a chance to vid yet, but I think it will help with that also. One unforeseen benefit has been that the rudder increases my paddling efficiency because I dont have to dig like crazy to correct directional drift. Extremely fast shipping, thanks.

Reviewer:

sobecarlos

Rating:

5

Date:

8/27/2012

Review:

I bought this kit to install on an Advanced Elements Convertible kayak. The staff at ACK was very helpful and quickly ansered all of my questions. Apparently no one has or at least admitted they have performed this installation before on an AE Convertible kayak. I was able to install the rudder kit with minor modifications to the kayak and to the foot braces. I have used it for hours of kayak sailing, and it has performed very well. My main concerns were ease of installation, ease of modification for an inflatable folding kayak, ease of breakdown for stowing of the kayak and minimal drag. Other than the fact that one of the cables kinked hopelessly while feeding it into the cable tubing, requiring replacement with sailboat standing rigging cable from West Marine which works much, much better than the original cable, I have no complaints. The kit takes little time to install with preplanning and performs very well in the water.

Reviewer:

Dan

Rating:

3

Date:

5/8/2012

Review:

Ordered the tubing with the rudder kit, so no issues there. However, my rudder kit came with the old wedgies, instead of the newer ones, so the unsheathed wire cables did not lock in place. If I had not researched the issue online, I never would have known what the problem was. Austin Kayak put me in touch with the distributor, but it was actually their fault for packaging the old components with the new cables. Received the new wedgies direct from the distributor, but lost a great weekend for kayaking. Austin gave me a 20% discount coupon for my troubles, but Im still disappointed by the experience. Overall, installation went smoothly. I did a rear mount custom install on a Heritage Featherlite 12 and used some YouTube videos for guidance on cable placement and drilling. Unfortunately, I havent had a chance to take her out since.

Reviewer:

Michael

Rating:

5

Date:

4/29/2012

Review:

Living in Australia, I bought the complete system and a few extras to complete the construction of the Steve Killing designed Reliance kayak. A big double kayak, my main concern was the load placed on the rudder and stern when executing a turn. So my research all lead to me selecting the Smart track system. The service from Austin Canoe and Kayaks was swift and all parts arrived complete and well packed. I will write another review once I have finished the kayak and tried the system on open water.

Reviewer:

Alan

Rating:

4

Date:

11/26/2011

Review:

Cable kit is minus tubeing,which is required? Not advised of this when purchasing! Had to obtain later. This is sure a well built item. Minimal instruction included, tho assy straightforward. Rudder tracks should have method for securing from outside,without need for vertical adjustment, which secures from behind. Rudder retract cord, should have a smoother route thru top of rudder securing pin. Cord will wear there. I will fit a fishing rod line guide there. All in all, great build/value. Stiil building so una to report on performance. As my kayak's a double, expect good results.

Reviewer:

John Guha

Rating:

3

Date:

7/2/2011

Review:

Great system if only sent without confusing instructions and parts that fit together differently than the stated instructions; also, I have a WS Tsunami and the wrong metal bracket was send; hence, causing the system to get dislodged off the kayak on the first day, and requiring creative remodifications to fix. But when it is working, it is awesome. Just needs fine-tuning, more attention to details of parts and instructions, and better matching of parts to individual brands/models of kayaks.

Reviewer:

MetroMan

Rating:

4

Date:

10/28/2010

Review:

The kit is great. Installation was not too difficult after studying the instructions prior to ordering. I have a Mad River Canoe Synergy 14 (Sit on top, hybrid). My kit was missing a couple of small components (cotter pin, cleat, and the little ball that does on the end of the rudder cord), but AK shipped them out quickly...along with a free t-shirt. A couple things of note: -For a sit on top kayak you will need the "Vertical Adjustment Kit". I didn't see this mentioned anywhere prior to purchase. I found this out after receiving my kit...staring at the pieces...staring at the kayak...drinking a beer...then staring some more. I called them up and they explained it to me. -For a sit on top, you will need the rudder tubing kit. I found this out while doing preliminary research. The kit is very good, but would be GREAT if they included the rudder tubing. Why not include it if its an essential part? Would you buy a car without wheels? Also, if the Vertical Adjustment Kit is needed for Sit on top kayaks, why not publish that information? After installation, the kit works great. A simple flex of the toes operates the rudder in each direction. With the rudder being spring loaded, deployement is really effortless.

Reviewer:

Peter Hood

Rating:

4

Date:

9/9/2010

Review:

Very good quality.

Reviewer:

Pete Collins

Rating:

2

Date:

1/28/2010

Review:

The rudder kit arrived as pictured, but they don't include a cable housing that is critical for the proper installation of the rudder and control system. It cost me another week of waiting for my boat to worked on and another $20.00 in parts. Smart track is a great system and I don't mind paying the money, but why not tell me up front?

Reviewer:

Rodney Nancarrow

Rating:

5

Date:

4/16/2008

Review:

I purchased the Smarttrack Rudder kit for my wood strip Laughing Loon Panache. The Panache is a straight tracking boat that I only had difficulty with weather cocking in stronger cross winds and choppy conditions but it was enough for me to finally concede that a rudder was required. A considerable amount of time was spent researching rudders and I eventually decided on the Smarttrack system. It is quite different to others on the market with a smaller blade area and a vertical out of use position. When I first saw the blade I was concerned it would not be big enough. I have now had a chance to trial the system and I am very surprised at how responsive the boat is to just a slight tap of the toe. Installation was made easy by the inclusion of all the required hardware in the kit but also by the exceptional engineering quality. The cable attachment system using a wedge design was a delight to use and feels very secure. Congratulations to the designer.