Sailing with one rudder....NOT

Help

OK, got the 30something year old hulls completely refurbished (see long list of hull repairs) and they look great! If anyone has similar issues, let's connect.

We took it out yesterday afternoon and had some strong winds so decided to run with just the main and leave the jib in the truck. As we launched we were dead into the wind (bad push off) and kinda slid the 30 feet backwards toward the rocky shore while trying to rudder the prows over where we needed to be to pick up some wind. Not thinking we were that close to shore I was horrified to feel the rudders lightly scrape just as we caught the wind and off we went.... for about 100 yards. I looked back just in time to see the port rudder break off and start it's decent to the bottom. My buddy jumped in but we missed it and then the fun began. As I mentioned the winds were pretty stiff and try as we might, we could not hold any course for more than a few seconds without that rudder. Evidently one is just not enough till your nearly flying the hull with the broken rudder on it (not a good way to come into the launch).

Has anyone ever had to do the following?? We dropped the sail and my 12 year old daughter took what remained of the tiller system while my buddy and I lay on the hulls forward of the tramp and paddled for about 30 minutes till we managed to get her into a protected cove (no way to go against the wind back to the only dock on the lake). I was able to walk back to the launch and solicit the "tow of shame".

So I need to know if anyone has a spare rudder as I can't find any on E-bay at present. Help...Please, the weather is into the 80's and I have this beautifully refinished boat sitting in the yard.

Mitch

I've had two rudders break mid-lake.

Try building one.
www.JaimeZX.com/Boating/Hobie/part3.html

Now I just need to build 5 more...

_________________
Warm regards,

Jim

Hey Jaime,

I've read your article on the rudder build before and was impressed.... and impressed at how much work it was. If you're serious about building 5 more, you ought to consider a side line for fun and profit?

I have been meaning to ask you something for awhile since it sounds like you go out alone alot. Do you have any tricks for raising the mainsail alone? Perhaps mine is more tattered than normal but I can't imagine not having someone guide it into the luff track and giving it a push as described in the Hobie manual. Whatcha think?

Thanks again for all your advice on the hull repairs. They turned out great though I got in a bit of a hurry with the warm weather and have some sags in the paint job.

Mitch

Not really. For the amount of work they are I'd want to charge as much as the dang new EPOs.


I just spray the track with silicone spray every now and then (it's raised most of the time, so I just get as high as I can with the spray. When the mast is down I clean out the track and spray more of it.) Then occasionally when the sail has a hard time going up I'll spray the luff with silicone as I'm raising it. But usually I just stand right in front of the boat, pull on the halyard with my right hand and use the left to guide the sail up. The real trick is getting the boom into the track and downhauled.


No problem man.

Jim

Had something similiar happen to me a couple of weeks ago,except I was about five miles offshore and something bit one of my rudders clean off.(Shark?). Pain in the arse getting back in , plus very nervous about what was circling underneath. Try Dan Berger in Va. Beach he has tons of used stuff. In fact just got some Epos from him. *In my opinion the 16 is useless without the jib. Can you reef your main? Dan Berger 757-589-6920

Were there teeth marks & stuff?