"While the M17 rudder does raise and lower, even when the rudder is all the way up, it's the first part of the boat to "find land". If the Bay was home a kick up rudder might be nice. The M15's come that way. Short of making your own (doable), Ida Sailer might be the way to go." This made me chuckle. I made a nice new rudder last winter and although I had never touched on my 17....the first sail with the new rudder and I did exactly that. DOAH!! ...at least it was just sand and a few small rocks. http://www.timtone.com/monty/rudder.htm The rudder on my previous boat was hinged and worked very well. I would have no reservations about having one again, but for the M17 I took the easy way out and made a one piece unit instead. This might give you some ideas if you were going to make a lifting version. http://www.timtone.com/tt/ttphotos/images/RudderStockandRudder.jpg As for tillers, I have made many. I always thought the laminating order was right and wrong at the same time. It makes sense for the laminates to be horizontal in order to follow the form or shape of the tiller. But in terms of strength, the holes to attach the tiller to the rudder are usually horizontal....and this is a good place for any degradation to start. With horizontal laminations and horizontal holes it is not a great combination in that regard. Having your laminates stacked so the glue lines are vertical makes more sense to me, but then you have the force that is exerted on the tiller during use that is against the more vulnerable lamination. Around and around we go. On bigger tillers I have done a taper laminated style, with horizontal laminates, but set a few recessed through-bolts vertically through the laminates as a back up. Cheers, Tim.