Revolation rudder hard to un-stow

HI everyone. This is my first post but have been reading the boards for past several months. I purchased a 2007 Sport Fish and a new Revolution 10 days ago. We have been out 4 time so far. I also purchased a Rack and Roll trailer. I will assemble it tomorrow. Should be good to go.

My question is how hard should it be to lower the rudder on the Revolution? It takes about all I can give it to get it down. The bungee is not holding it. It come up a little easier. I haven't looked at it closely but like to think I am mechanical. What should I look for?

Other than that they are great! Our goal is o get out twice a week during the summer. We live in northern Illinois so season is 6-7 months. (At least for me) Thanks in advance for any help.

I experienced the same thing with my Revo. For some reason it works a lot easier now. Initially, I figured if it continued being so difficult, it was only a matter of time before the cord wore and snapped. I have had mine for about 1.5 months and have been using it very often.

Technique is usually the thing that will make this work easier. It is also possible that the control lines are too tight. I wrote an FAQ on it that your can find here (top topic of these forums).

<<1- Techniques for easier rudder system use.

Hard steering in either direction can cause excessive friction in control lines. More centered steering will make raising and lowering operation smoother.

Deploy rudder: Turn steering handle to left. While actuating the down rudder control handle, steer the rudder right. This helps to move the rudder weight/mass in the direction required to begin lifting it off the deck. Actuating the down control while the rudder swings through the center position will work the best.

Retract rudder: The rudder has a small catch / indention to help keep the rudder down while in use. By (quickly) wiggling the steering (near the center steering position) back and forth while actuating the up control, the rudder is more easily released from the catch and raised.>>

See the complete post here: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=6943

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks for the help. I took time to look at the rudder. I loosened the nut that the cord comes through about 1/8 of a turn and it works great now. We have been busy using the kayaks and haven't had the time to get creative. I do have some ideas I will be doing.