New Rudder Pin - Now Available

I recieved my 2010 AI on 10-16-09. Last evening I checked and both the installed rudder pin and the spare are black.

New pins arrived after 2010 production began, so yes... could be old style in 2010 models.

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

Hmm. I read no such cautionary words in your statement at the beginning of this thread, Matt, and I relied on what you wrote, as I expect do we all who read this forum regularly. Am I in for other surprise omissions on my 2010 AI because I unknowingly bought one of the early production models?

Just ask your dealer for new ones. This is not a big deal.

My post was dated August 31st. Production for new model years starts much earlier. Hard to catch every twist in production / warehousing. We will honor the statement that 2010 models come with them.

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

A gray pin broke on me out of no where today. I'm really going to agree with pirate now. I don't think it's the toughness of the pin but the minute differences in diameter. The pin I broke I had just replaced, I had one other run on the pin and then went out today. When I put it in and when I checked it today it seemed a little looser in the rudder assembly than the previous gray one. So today there were kind of lite winds 10-15 mph most of the day. I was sailing around all day, I turn to do a down wind run and I'm going down wind down swell (small today 2ft or less swell) for about an hour with the sail reefed way in so I'm only going 3mph or so. I go to adjust the rudder and get no response, I look back and it's the dreaded rudder dangle problem, aka broken pin I really have no idea what broke it, there was no stress on the rudder at all at time of breaking. I'm always very careful not to put too much stress on the rudder with my steering and I always pull tightly on the down cord and cleat it tight. I've had pins last 20 sails before I replaced them, but this one broke for almost no reason. It's gotta be the diameters.

I tried to keep the pin but the pieces found their way into the scupper holes during all the commotion.

Whatever causes this how many readers have successfully installed a new pin whilst afloat?

I have never broken a pin but I wonder what my chances would be of doing this, do you do it onboard or while swimming at the Stern?

What about steering several Kliks home with the paddle instead, how difficult/easy is that?

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Fair Skies, Max.

In my only case, I leashed myself to the kayak and then laid out toward the back and was able to reach out and use pliers to pull the broken pieces out. Then I grabbed the rudder and positioned it with one hand while pushing the pin in with the other. It took a little patience but went a lot quicker and easier than expected. I'm not sure I could have sailed to a beach with the paddle if I had too. I was almost at the end of my downwind run and so I would have had to sail upwind or across the wind using the paddle. If I kept going down wind I'm not sure there is a beach landing spot and the reef raises up so breaking waves might have been an issue as well. I'm tall (6'6") so this was probably a lot easier for me, also, laying out toward the back submerges the rear of the kayak, so water is going to get in via the rudder line holes. Make sure to sponge out the water after the repair.

Max,
It depends ofcourse on the conditions at the time. I have broken 2 pins. The first was during a howling southerly. I tried but I had no chance of repairing it on the water. I ended up furling the sail and pedaling about 2km back to the boat ramp using the paddle as a rudder which worked well.
The second time was on a much calmer day. I was able to easily repair it on the water by kneeling on the rear hatch in much the same way as JG's post above.
Read about it on P11 of this thread
viewtopic.php?f=75&t=11498
I reckon I could do an on the water repair if I had to in rough conditions but I would drop the mast next time to help with stability.
BTW -you have got the gray pin -right?

Just 2 things to remember if you do it on the water:
Flip you rudder up to exchange the pin, and don't store the spare in the rear hatch, you can't open it on the water without getting water in. Store it in the centre hatch or your lifevest.

A leashed multitool makes life easier.

Wow, I didn't even think about trying to get the spare from the rear hatch. You are spot on tho, if I had tried to get it, I would have taken on a fair amount of water. I keep 2 or 3 spares in my life vest in case I drop one or one breaks.

I keep my spare pins in the pouch on the back of the seat. Not broken one yet, but did mangle a couple of the old ones pretty badly. Now on the grey jobbie.

As an aside

I haven't had time to make my own tramps, so gave in and ordered a set from ACK, (as there were none available here). It is now in its third week and they are still stuck in customs
If anyone else in the UK is ordering anything from there, don't let them use USPS (postal service), because they then hand it over to Parcelforce in the UK and the whole service goes down the can!

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Either lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!