Whiteman- You are a very lucky man to find that gem! I haven't used my rudder in probably 15 yrs. When you get a chance, see if there is a hole in the far stern of the boat where a rudder post (bolt) would have gone. I have my old rudder if you want to try it! What a great holiday surprise.
Bill

Thanks for the info, I've got the boats out from where they were stored only to find there is a small dent in the Dirigo and some cracks in the fiberglass so I'll have to address those issues first. I was able to locate the # on the hull though its digi0048l84 and there is a stainless or aluminum gromet in the stern, did the rudder just slip in to this or is it fastened mechanically?

Looks like yours is a 1984 (like mine was). The rudder rotated around a metal pin (rudder post) that fitted down into that grommet hole and locked into place. The post had a button in the center of the top of it that, when pressed, was supposed to release the post so you could pull it (and thus the rudder) out of the hole/socket, but mine never could be released. You should try to get together with bilnik to see what the rudder looks like and how it works.

thanks I'll do that , I'm going to be out to the property this weekend I think I'll rummage around a bit and see if theres anything hanging around that fits the bill

Let me know what you find. Its been a while since I had it in but I think mine just rested in there with a bolt. Maybe threaded....
I have a stainless one I had made plus the original aluminium one.

I guess there's nothing more to say.

Lovely dialog, Strange Magic, and kudos for starting this Dirigo 17 club. As we all age along with our boats, this is exacly the kind of club that makes for a wonderful sea kayaking community.

Until I read your post and the responding comments, I was at a bit of a loss trying to understand why so many folks had several (if not buckets) o' boats. Now I understand: it's love.

I second your request for more details of the adventures. Especially Montaulk Point. I spent two weeks in Montaulk years ago and rounded the point every day. Well, except for when that hurricane blew through. The day after, the ocean was a seething deathtrap, but the sound had huge, smooth swells and I had a blast in Nordy.

Moulton

Moulton, I've seen several ways kayakers accumulate boats. Some are all-around paddlers--surf, whitewater, tripping, racing, creeking. Some just have the cash (and like kayaks, too), so they end up with quite a few boats. All I ever do is exploration day-tripping, so it's usually only one boat in the stable at a time; the exceptions are the overlap while one kayak is being phased out and its replacement phasing in. I kept the Dirigo long after I built the Patuxent, though, because A) it would be hard to sell and I really can't be bothered, and B) it was an old, old friend and was indeed a great cold-water boat for a cautious paddler like me. BTW, I gave away both the Dirigo and the Patuxent to local paddlers whom I thought would put them to good use. The boats were also just so idiosyncratic by the time I got finished building or modifying them that the odds were very low that any "regular" kayak purchaser would be at all interested. Any boat that I end up with gets to be very highly customized and personalized, to suit my tastes over many years of constant use, and I suppose I pay for it in lost resale value. Don't really care, though.

Chuck Sutherland is an example of boat loyalty. He's still paddling his ancient Broze Brothers Mariner Sprite that he's had since at least the mid-80s: no hatches, no bulkheads...... How old is your Nordkapp? My old paddling partner Bob Zelley is working on his 3rd Nordkapp.

To all I have an old Dirigo in my barn I do not have time to re- condition. I was thinking of giving it up if anyone was interested. I live in central NC.

I wish you were closer.

Great news! I found a Dirigo 17 on ebay and bought it last night, CHEAP!
It does need a new cockpit coaming but so does my present Dirigo 17. Very excited to make new cockpit coamings. Thinking about foam and fiberglass.

bilnik, best of luck with the new Dirigo! Let us know how it goes, with the repairs.

Thank you Mr. Magic!
I am using foam and fiberglass to rebuild coaming on present boat. The new boat (to me) was stored upside down in the dirt for some years so all the wood is gone. The hull is perfect though. I'll see how the foam/fiberglass comes out and then decide what to do on the whole new cockpit coaming. I'm not that into bending wood, etc....
Very happy to have a new Dirigo 17 though!!

Howdy-
Just finished rebuilding my old cockpit coaming. I am happy and surprised how easy it was. I'll paint it camo to match the rest of the boat this afternoon. My good friend Joe with Placid Boatworks (awesome canoes!!!) threw a 7' piece of 1"x1" foam at me to play with. Well guess what, it worked! I cut all the old wood off and glued the foam down, glassed over it a few times and bam, new cockpit. I am very excited to get my hands on my new D17 this winter and put a whole new cockpit coaming on her. I have some ideas about fastening a 1"x3" piece of foam to the lip the wood was fastened to and shaping and glassing over it. I'll see.....
All the best.

Howdy- Just got back from hunting RI for seaducks in my old D17 and I picked up my new one too!!!! She's a beauty. Built 1987. Different hatch cover and its all bolted together instead of rivets like my old one. Can't wait to rebuild the cockpit coaming and paint it camo for next year. Its SO light compared to my old one that has been glassed over and patched many times over the years.
feliz navidad if anyone is listening...