Hobie Forums
http://www.hobie.com/forums/

Backup Rudder
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=34429
Page 1 of 1

Author:  TJ [ Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:16 am ]
Post subject:  Backup Rudder

"Ted, I think this NRS page has everything we are talking about.
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1214

Add an oar/paddle and it is definitely a possible solution for a backup rudder system for someone who wants to travel off shore or far from home base and not be stuck with a non-functioning rudder."

Keith

Started a new thread on this Keith. I keep having to wait for all of your recent pictures to load up - user error, I'm sure.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Just add the clamp-on oar lock and you're good to go. The akas appear to be 1 5/8". Is that correct? If so, that would fit perfectly. I couldn't find them on their site, so I called them this morning and they said they didn't carry them anymore. I'll check pack with them to see if that is an old product listing.

For those who haven't been following on the other topic, this is what I have come up with for now.
http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z211 ... ods005.jpg

I believe this will be a good back up and a possible assist when the rudder is being over powered. I used an old crappy kayak paddle with a nearly flat blade, but I think the standard Hobie paddle could also be used to avoid carrying extra gear.

Ted

Author:  davew [ Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

TJ
Pop out in 15knots sail down wind a few miles and see how you go getting home with that setup? You just can't tack or work to windward you will only be able to control the boat with or across the wind. So you must consider that when going offshore.

Author:  Hammer [ Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

This is the main reason I still carry my paddle when using my TI. Not because I might need it to power the TI, but just in case my rudder breaks.

Author:  chrisj [ Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

davew wrote:
TJ
Pop out in 15knots sail down wind a few miles and see how you go getting home with that setup? You just can't tack or work to windward you will only be able to control the boat with or across the wind. So you must consider that when going offshore.

Dave, why would it be any less effective to windward than on any other point of sail?

Author:  TxYackMan [ Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

Long story to why this came about but right now I carry an entire rudder assembly including all the lines on the boat. Although replacing on the water probably would not be real fun.

Author:  whosyerbob [ Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

TJ wrote:
I believe this will be a good back up and a possible assist when the rudder is being over powered. I used an old crappy kayak paddle with a nearly flat blade, but I think the standard Hobie paddle could also be used to avoid carrying extra gear.

I've done quite a bit of steering on the TI with just an oar due to failure of the steering lines while we were out on extended sails; these are my observations:

- Use the flattest oar you can find. The Hobie oar is too curved for extended use and flexes too much while under heavy load; it's good for paddling, but not as a rudder replacement.

- I found that I needed to swiftly move the oar from side-to-side because the TI responded better with the oar on the downwind side of the main hull. As we were leaving Smith Island to return to Crisfield (about 14 miles across open water), the steering stopped functioning correctly and the rudder wouldn't respond (it turned out that the port steering line would break two days later). Once we were clear of the sheltered waters around Smith Island, the winds were 15-18 and the seas were about 2-3 feet; we kept slewing around as we raced down the face of the waves and I needed to place the oar on the other side of the TI briefly for corrective steering, then put it back on the downwind side.

- I found the TI responded better to steering with the oar when the blade was as far aft as possible.

Here are a couple links that illustrate what I'm saying, and they take you to the exact location in the video so you don't have to watch the whole thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfFyPbeTYjs#t=04m50s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlyLpxpUJME#t=00m15s

Author:  TJ [ Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

Nice demonstration, Mitch. I now realize that you would not be able to fix an oar socket on the TI aka as it's in front of the back seat instead of in back of it. And, after testing, I'll have to see if I need to place a socket on both sides. The one time I used a paddle, I was on one tack the whole time so I didn't have to switch back and forth.

It seems that it is easier, due to the back seat being farther back, to get the paddle to the back of the boat on the TI. The paddle I am using is 82' long and, leaving a couple of feet forward of the aka for leverage, puts it within a few inches of the back of the boat.

The whole thing may not be worth the effort, but it's worth a try anyway.

Ted

Author:  whosyerbob [ Thu Mar 17, 2011 1:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Backup Rudder

Yeah, it's good to have a backup plan that's tested. If you look at the videos closely, you'll see that we replaced the Hobie paddle by the time the second video was made, and that was due to what we found the first time.

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/