slab, one big thing about the small boats is the same thing. control in the wind or even no wind. what gave me the idea to make a rudder for my little toy boat was i saw a rudder on a john boat and talked to the man about it. he said, "if i left home and got to the lake and forgot the rudder i would drive back home and get it." he said it made all the difference in the world how the boat handled. when i'm fishing out of my john boats i leave my outboard down and tie it with bunge straps to hold the motor straight and it acts as a rudder. makes all the difference in the world how it handles too. you might think about making a rudder and trying it before buying another boat.