Rudder

 Part of the steering apparatus of a boat or ship that is

fastened outside the hull, usually at the stern. The most
common form consists of a nearly flat, smooth surface
of wood or metal hinged at its forward edge to the
sternpost. It operates on the principle of unequal
water pressures. When the rudder is turned so that
one side is more exposed to the force of the water
flowing past it than the other side, the stern will be
thrust away from the side that the rudder is on and
the boat will swerve from its original course. In small
craft the rudder is operated manually by a handle
termed a tiller or helm. In larger vessels, the rudder is
turned by hydraulic, steam, or electrical machinery.
Special types of rudders use various
shapes to obtain greater effectiveness in
manoeuvring. The balanced rudder and
the semibalanced rudder are shaped so
that the force of the water flowing by the
rudder will be balanced or partially
balanced on either side of its turning axis,
thus easing the pressure on the steering
mechanism or the helmsman. The lifting
rudder is designed with a curvature along
its lower edge that will lift the rudder out
of danger should it strike an object or the
bottom.