If the boat still has the Yakima footrests that were standard on Dirigos, you need to get some aluminum plate 1/8th inch thick. Cut two identical pieces as trapezoids. Pieces will be 2 inches wide, with parallel sides. Each piece will have one squared-off end; the other end will be at an angle, because one side will be 3 and 5/8 long and the other side will be 4 and 3/8 long. Smooth off and round-off the corners so they're not sharp. Drill a hole for nylon cord (the rudder cords)on the squared-off end of each of the two aluminum plates, over toward the 3 and 5/8 inch side. Get some stiff, springy rubber, like maybe the thin sidewall of an old tire, and cut out rectangles maybe 2 and 1/4 inches by 1 and 1/2 inches. Drill holes in the slanted end of each plate, and attach each plate with stainless nuts and bolts to a piece of rubber, then attach the rubber by drilling holes in the Yakima footrest and fastening with stainless nuts and bolts. There should only be a little space between the footrest pedal and the plate, maybe 1/8 inch. The rubber joint between the plate and the footrest should be on the side away from where your foot will be, so it should be on the side facing the bow. So you have flexible, moveable extensions to the Yakima footrests that you can work with the toes of your shoes or booties. The added plates should stick up vertically from each footrest, with the 4 and 3/8 sides toward the center of the boat and should be mirror-images of each other. That's how Dirigo did it.

I've always used Perception rudders as add-ons to my boats, and they've worked just fine. Run nylon cords from the rudder forward to the holes in the plates, and tie them in place at the proper length. When you're not turning the rudder, the springy rubber joint will keep the rudder in a neutral, centered position. When you push on one rudder pedal, the other will move in the opposite direction. Works like a charm. But you'll have to figure out how to attach the rudder to the boat.