Lee, welcome to the club! How long have you had your Dirigo, and what color(s) is it? I agree that the rudder does not equal modern standards in design or utility, but Dirigo was on to something when they devised the toe-operated rudder pedals affixed to the Yakima footrests, and I think other rudder systems are now using that same idea--too many people complain about the squashy, non-rigid feel of sliding footrests/rudder controls. you really need to have your feet well-anchored on immovable, rigid footrests in order to paddle efficiently and securely, and the Dirigo offered just that.

I affixed my bow and stern skegs permanently onto the hull by just sanding the gelcoat to roughen it and then gluing on the skegs with thickened epoxy, and using more epoxy to fair-in the angles. The rear skeg is quarter-inch plywood, the bow skeg is oak. The result is not beautiful, but I care only for strength and utility.

Later, I'll tell some tales about some of my early adventures in my Dirigo (nothing dramatic!)