I keep braking one of the blades. And have been through a housing the boat has been sailed hard. I sail in a shallow area north of Tampa blades kick up and you have no steering. Dotans are either all the way up or all the way down. I have been looking for an old gcat in ok condition.
Dotan rudders have 3 positions:
1. UP - To lift the rudder blade and secure it in the upright position - tiller up and momentarily return it to the original position.
2. DOWN - Repeat the move to bring the rudder blade down.
3. IN-BETWEEN - Keep the tiller up for midway position in shallow water.
You can easily adjust the rudder to kick up at various pressures with a 3-position rubber stopper (located on the inside of the rudder box). Extensive information you may find here:
Adjusting the Pressure under which the Rudder Kicks Up While you are learning how to sail, it really will be wise to use different rudders that are not so prone to abuse because of negligence.