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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:49 am 
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Location: Boynton Beach, FL
My young children love to sail small boats with tillers. I was hoping that when I bought the TI, they would love sailing it as much as I do. I was even planning to buy more TIs for my kids so we can sail and race each other.

But what we have discovered is that the TI is very difficult for young children to steer with their small hands and fingers. The force necessary to steer a TI at speed are too great for them. Hobie's small steering handles are very short and provides them insufficient leverage.

Has anyone figured out a way to extend the TI steering to provide additional leverage?

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Marc K
2010 Hobie Tandem Island
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:29 pm 
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I am uncertain if this will be adequate. I placed these knobs on my steering, which has made a significant difference. Price is very reasonable.

http://yakass.net/articles/equipment-a- ... ndle-knobs


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:54 pm 
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Location: Kailua 96734
Sure. You could use this part, or you can screw any type of handle grip you want into the 1/4" 20 count socket on top the tiller.

With and adult onboard, handling the sheet, they should have no problem using both of their little hands to steer.

Are those kids any good at playing "Crash Bandicoot"? :wink:

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:56 am 
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Location: Boynton Beach, FL
I am unsure adding a knob on the existing short steering handle will provide the additional leverage the children require. Also, they expressed a preference for a tiller.

Below are two "tiller" prototypes that I built using inexpensive suppliers costing only a few dollar at Home Depot.

Image Image

Advantages:
  • Additonal length provides more leverage for steering
  • Looks and feels like a tiller.
  • No longer limited the the strength of the fingers. Entire hand can grasp the tiller now.

Disadvantages
  • Now that they have more leverage, the could accidentally rip the handle off the boat. :o
  • A new protrusion to get caught on when entering/existing the boat

We will test PVC pipe vs. wooden dowel to see which tiller they prefer. Wish me luck this weekend.

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Marc K
2010 Hobie Tandem Island
Boynton Beach, FL


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:38 am 
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Location: Parkland FL
Your little tiller mod looks nice, I hope your young sailors enjoy themselves.

Have you reversed the lines going to the rudder so they will be "true" tillers [point the front end right to turn left]?


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:46 am 
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bluehen wrote:
Have you reversed the lines going to the rudder so they will be "true" tillers [point the front end right to turn left]?


How do you reverse them? My TI still uses the twist n stow rudder.

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Marc K
2010 Hobie Tandem Island
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:12 pm 
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Location: Parkland FL
If you have the new rudder installed, you can access the knots that connect the rudder lines coming out of the tubes at the stern with the pre-existing lines that lead forward to the steering controls. Just undo them, swap them, take up any slack at the rudder attachment points, and you're set. If, as you say, you still have the twist & stow - this would be a good excuse to install the upgrade.

I know because when I installed the new rudder back in June, either I or my assistant got the rudder lines mixed up, and on our next outing I suddenly had a pair of little tillers :cry: :oops: I was tempted to leave them that way, but decided it would be better for all users if they were set up correctly, so I just untied them and swapped them.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:38 pm 
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Location: Boynton Beach
Mark, do you remember seeing this mod on my boat:
http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z211 ... der%20Mod/

It has worked out very well. Not only does it give you a whole hand grip, It doesn't require you to lean as far forward. The combination of those two things makes sailing the boat more comfortable. It also make a nice attachment point for a tiller extension.

Ted


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:45 am 
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Hi Ted.

I remember your handle mod very well. It was the inspiration for my "tiller".

I discovered a possible cause for the excessive friction and difficulty in steering.

The steering handle sit on top of a steering pin.

Below is a screenshot of a normal steering pin.
Image

Below is a screenshot of my boat's steering pin.
Image

Ouch! The pin is scratching the plastic boat. Hobie, any suggestions how we can resolve this issue?

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2010 Hobie Tandem Island
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:44 am 
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Location: South Florida
Marc,

It looks like someone has messed up that handle fitting--they have lost the black washer & replaced the stainless steel pin with a brass pin. It looks like you need to get a new washer & SS pin. Once that brass pin is removed the fitting will probably fall through into the hull with the associated parts being scattered about in the hull --to avoid that you need to brace it up from underneath with something fairly solid. I believe on the AI, the assembly is spring loaded from underneath. To remove that pin, when you brace it up, put enough upward pressure on it (on the internal spring) to lift the brass pin up & off the hull where it is rubbing.

It looks like some shoddy factory assembly--maybe your dealer will see fit to do it correctly. I would put in a warrenty claim if necessary.

Keith

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 1:33 pm 
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Yeah, that sure looks like an assembly boo boo, Mark.

Ted


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:21 pm 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Don't think we ever used a brass roll pin there.

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:39 pm 
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It's hard to tell from the pic. It could just be surface rust on the SS pin.


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:44 pm 
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Looking again. The pin does not appear to be rubbing. The scratches are more like the handle dimension / diameter. Once the screw holding the handle on is installed... that likely lifts the roll pin. We have changed the handle and added a washer at some point, so changing to a new handle and washer if still needed would reduce the wear.

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Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 4:11 pm 
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That sure looks like a brass pin (or some variation) to me. If it were rust on tne pin, why doesn't the vertical SS pin holder also show similar surface rust?

Matt's comments regarding the abrasion seem to be reasonable.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

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