Changing a rudder pin at sea by yourself

Mike, in higher winds or as you move faster the rudder will be pulled backwards putting stress on the pin. I happens whether you feel a difference in the steering or not. The pin is your safety measure not the cleat. Better off to cleat.

Vetgam

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Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

As an aside the rudder assembly reminds me of the pins and clips holding truss together.

I'm sorry, butt over here on Oahu, we're not into that stuff,..

Where do you think the new Island designs came from...

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

A Mommy AI and a Daddy TI loved each other "Very Much"?

Warning re TI spare rudder pin storage.

I had a novel experience with the rudder pins Christmas day this year. Had a friend on board, a lady who, because of her size and limited mobility, found it easier to take up the rear position in our TI rather than scramble across the trampolines to the middle. The wind was quite strong and we headed upwind into a very lumpy Nelsons Bay.

As we turned for home we lost steering and so I furled the sail and jumped in the drink to replace the pin. However, my spare pin was in the rear hatch and was attached using the split ring through one of the holes on the rim of the rear hatch. It had been there since we bought the boat and I had thought nothing of it.

So with considerable weight in the rear seat, the boat turned downwind and sat rather low in the water. My friend could not have moved forward to the middle of the boat and so I opened the rear hatch. Instead of riding over each wave, the rear of the TI cut through each wave and a scary amount of water entered the hull as I tried to retrieve the rudder pin. After only 5 or 6 waves the amount of water that had swamped the hull made me abandon that idea and we limped into shore using a paddle as a makeshift rudder.

Thank the good Lord we were in an enclosed waterway and we were able to make it to shore.

So, if you happen to store your spare rudder pins in the rear hatch you might want to think again, or make sure they are easy to grab. Chances are that the day it shears won't be in a millpond and you might take on as much water as we did.

Incidentally, after replacing the pin we headed out again and after 20 minutes looked back to see the rudder askew a second time. Assuming another sheared pin we again used the paddle to limp back to shore but we found that one of the gudgeon screws had worked loose and so the gudgeon plate was flopping about held on by just the top screw. The loose bottom screw must have jammed the first pin and caused it to shear. I have since read that on some models the lower gudgeon screw was a whisker short and that some others have experienced the plate coming loose too. A longer screw has since been installed with Loctite and the gudgeon plate massaged with sandpaper to help it form better to the hull.

So, think carefully about where you store your spare pin and always take a paddle just in case.

I dispensed with all split rings from my TI early in the piece (rudder and aka brace pins). When I replace a rudder pin there is nothing on the bottom, and I rely on the up and down lines to keep it in place. All my spare brace pins have had the hole filed to take a 2mm zip-tie, and I carry spare zip-ties in my waterproof box in the hatch under my knees, as well as a few in my PFD. The one original brace pin left still has the nut on it, which of course will go for a swim if the bolt shears.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

A suggestion from Texas Gulf Coast Hobie Island Club's Facebook page:

AI/TI broken rudder pin tip:

Replacing broken rudder pins plus the cotter pin while afloat is not hard but can be tricky pending water conditions. A new AI friend mentioned using a long skinny screw driver in place of a rudder pin to get you safely back to shore. I've had to replace mine in rough surf (not fun) before and the beauty of using a screw driver (same width of pin) is not messing with the cotter pin. This is obviously a quick temporary fix. Locking the rudder down is also key to longer rudder pin life.

....but I think simply omitting the split ring until you can put it in safely would achieve the same goal, while still providing the "weakest link" - to break if forced.

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2012 Hobie Kona
2014 Hobie Tandem Island

But I do not see any benefit in replacing the split ring ever, not just while out on the water. The rudder up and down lines definitely secure the pin in place (and as each are independent, also offer a measure of redundancy).

The screwdriver idea has merit though, except that there would not be anything preventing it rising until the bottom rudder pintle comes loose.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

Both sound like great suggestions. I remember being caught out in a strong blow and struggled to get back from Broughton Island. I shudder to think how much worse it could have been had the same struggles had happened out there. It was just a reminder to me I guess how quickly tricky can turn tragic. I love reading how others have tweaked and refined their boats.

Had 2 rudder pins break on me in rough conditions last summer off of Sullivan's island SC . My old AI has the twist and stow so was very hard to keep my self bobbing in the water, the boat, and everything else untangled and steady with only 2 hands. Managed to get one pin in only to have it some how break right away. Must not have been in all the way. Fresh out of pins, now was wishing I had some kind of auxiliary rudder clamped to an aka. Ended up calling my friends back on the beach to get some help before I drifted to Japan.

Now I will either tape pins under the gear bucket or install some closed cell foam to the underside of the deck just forward of the seat hatch. It will have holes to hold rudder pins like pencils stuck in a sponge.

I did away with the split rings, too. The pin can't come out anyway when the rudder it's down.

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