FIX FOR BROKEN T BAR Rudder Down

My T bar snapped off as I was heading out one day. Very inconvenient. I struggled back but couldn't work out what to do. Sailing Scene helped me out and talked me through as I was by the boat.

I didn't realise that under the forward hatch there is a pulley that the rudder line runs through. Anyhow, I opened all the hatches and used a small mirror so I could see where everything was. I was able tyo find the end of the line and threw it forward towards the front hatch area.

I was advised to get a small wrench, which I did. The I pulled the line forward as tight as I could get it while making sure (with the mirror) that nothing was getting snagged. When I had stretched it as far forward as I could I used my other hand to clench the wrench closed over the line to stop it going back through the bottom of the pulley.

Now, the frustrating part. How to get the line into the white tube which is on the inside of the hull below the down cleat? Simple. I fed fishing line through the top end and then attached it to the line. Now with my right hand I pulled the fishing line until I could feel it come snug. Using my left hand which had to go in behind the daggerboard moulding I was able to push theline into the white tube then pull it through.

To stop it going back I put a figure eight knot into it. My problem is that I think the original line was too short at just 74 cms. This means I can't get the down line any further in past the cleat. End result, when I pull the UP T Bar the rudder comes horizontal but doesn't land on the hull. It's not a drama.

Anyhow, has anyone elese experienced this? My preference would be to have the line a bit longer.

You should be able to loosen some line from the rear hatch area to give you more line to work with at the pull. The two line types are tied together back there. Also, if you ever need to thread it through the tube again, it's easier to push the tube out of the hull, push the line out the hull, and then thread it while it's out before pushing the tube back in.

The line in the back is how the pulls are usually adjusted. I re-adjust them when received from Hobie, as I like the rudder to start lowering just after I start pulling the down line, so there is less line to stuff in the pocket after cleating it.

Good luck,

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

Kayaking Bob,

My wife has a new boat--the dealer is 600 miles away. At home, I noticed that there was a lot of extra line at the stern for both the up and down lines. I should have done something about it before we headed out on a 6-day camping trip, but I didn't--I could claim I had too many other things to do, and the up/down pulls were working initially. But, 2 days into the trip, the down line stopped deploying the rudder. I could put it down by hand, then the down line could be pulled to lock it in place. The up line still worked, more or less.

The down line simply pulls back 8-9 inches and comes to a dead stop--without deploying the rudder. Still, when the rudder is deployed by hand at the stern, the down line can be pulled to tighten the line and lock the rudder down.

Do you have any idea what is going on?

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

"Less is more" Anon

Keith,

Sounds like the "knot" in the back has slipped and is not pulling the rudder down before the bungee/strap assembly in the inside is hitting something, probably the front pulley. Open the back hatch and you should have 4 tubes (2 on each side). Should be held in place with a plastic padeye on each side. Inspect and probably retie tighter the down line (with the rudder deployed). remember, the lines will tighten another 1/4 - 3/4" when put back on the sides with the padeyes

After installing a few up/down pulls when they were new (retrofitted) I got spoiled on them engaging just so. Also, easy to "feel" any changes when the all are "tweeked" the same. It's also nice for the up pull to engage within a couple of inches of starting to pull.

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

I have binned my T handles. On 3 occassions the rope has broken just inside the handle, it appears to cut the rope? I have fitted rope stops instead and have had no worries since.

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

Kayaking Bob,

After looking at the T-n-S rudder manual and the single page UP/Down "T" handle info for the past 24 hrs, I compared my 2007 rudder, which has always worked fine, w/ my wife's new boat rudder which does not deploy. The large bolt which holds the rudder housing together seemed too loose on my boat (tightened it a turn or 2) and seem a bit tight on my wife's boat--so, I loosened it about a turn. Eureka! Her down pull deployed the rudder w/o problem. Too bad I did not realize that might have been a solution, because it was certainly fixable on our 6-day camp trip.

I still need to tighten up the 4" of excess line on both the up/down lines.

Keith

_________________
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

"Less is more" Anon