Rudder
The rudder, here hiding behind the mast etc, has had some shaping. More shape refinement to come along with the attachment of cheeks (to connect tiller to rudder) and some double bias glass to beef up the strength of the ply. This is an easy way (relatively) to build a rudder because the contours which emerge from the ply allow freehand shaping as best pleases the builder.
Normally a rudder is attached to a boat with gudgeons and pintles. They are a sturdy way to go, but depending on design can be bulky, create a gap between hull and rudder, pose a corrosion risk, and in my experience they do tend to wear (at least bronze does)... so... I have looked at a method popularised by famous designer James Wharram which involves a figure eight lashing to form a hinge. Pictured is my progress to date, but a little more refining to do. Seems strong so far, though I've noticed some vertical movement which may be an issue. I also wonder if there is a risk of the rudder slipping around to one side or the other. Time will tell. Owners of Wharram multihulls give positive reports.
While working on the rudder I noticed this bloke climbing a tree just outside the main sliding door on my workshop. I don't know what he is, but they appear from time to time in my yard. This one's a beaut.
The rudder installed. One of these days I'm going to do something in a conventional manner... but this isn't that day. The lashings seem ok so far, but some sailing in proper down south conditions will soon put that to the test. The white around the lashings is sealant (butyl mastic) which is paintable once set, so it will eventually look better than it does here.