Possible design flaw in Tandem steering?

I ended up with two stretch cords, one around the rudder frame holding the rudder in its socket and one looped vertically over the top of the rudder keeping the other loop from coming off. So the two loops won't loose their strength, I slip them up to the top of the rudder that is much narrower so their is no stretching force when not in use.

For stretch cords, I tried the bungees but they are thicker so don't fit behind the rudder frame. So I returned to the sling shot bands which stretch thin so work better and stay on securely. As long as they aren't left stretched when not in use, I hope they will keep their strength.

Finally, I was able to test the sling shot cords in high wind and they work well without any down line tension. But they do add resistance to the turning which I prefer that as it keeps the rudder pointed as set. But it doesn't take much force to turn to the right as before with the down line at high tension. I bought the 2 sling shot cords from Walmart for about $3.

Of course this is only a temporary solution until I get a good rudder replacement.

Bob

do we know if Hobie has accepted the problem? And are looking for a fix. Last thing I read was that they do not think it is such a big deal!

_________________
Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

Paul67,

The director of engineering said Aug. 10th on this topic, " I and the engineering team at Hobie are working diligently to create lasting solutions to the problems with the TI rudder system. A member of the engineering team, or the Hobie Cat warrany department will post more information/solutions as they become available. ,..."

Also, Matt Miller sent a good rudder to the original author of this topic though I don't remember hearing if it really worked.

BTW, I had a good session in windy conditions yesterday and the rudder stayed in its socket without down line tension using just one rubber cord. However, there was more play in the turning line than before - not sure why yet.

Bob

I removed the rudder bolt and drilled the hole out so I could bolt the rudder down with a 1/4 inch nylon bolt as previously suggested on the Forum. I thought about bungy cords and even rubber bands if I could find the right size but the bolt with a wing nut seemed the easiest for me. I did check with Jim Czarnowski from Hobie engineering first and he said "Adding the ¼” Nylon bolt will not damage the rudder system if you run aground. The bolt will just shear and the rudder will come up."

Yesterday the wind was gusting to around 20 miles an hour and the boat handled like a dream breaking 7 knots going to weather with me hanging on in the back seat and the sail reefed. The rudder on my TI felt more like the rudder on my AI. Before I added the bolt my TI was very hard to stear and it didn't like to stay on course. Yesterday I found myself sailing at 6-7 knots without even having my hand on the rudder which is something I could not do before the bolt.

The only problems I had was launching and returning to shore. I scraped the rudder on the bottom quite a few times even though I tried to be careful.

Sure hope Hobie finds a permanent solution soon.

_________________
Jerry D.
St. Johns, Florida
2010 TI
2008 AI

Agree.

Bolt works well, but want a permanent solution.

_________________

I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

On this minor subject, according to Hobie, the rudder is supposed to go through the deck bungee loop before being cleated down.

Not knowing this, I was always struggling to lock it down with both sides of the bungee. Storing it in the sun like this will eventually warp the AI or TI rudder.

_________________
The Wind Is Your Friend...

After reading this thread in an effort to figure out my rudder problems I went in the garage to take a look at my Revo (no not a TI, but it has a good size sail). The locking indent was completely worn out (rounded with no edge) on the rudder mount. Spent 15 careful minutes with a dremel tool deepening and reshaping the indent, and sharpening up the latch part to fit the new indent. Then tightened up the drum until it was just loose enough to allow the latch to easily engage. Presto, better than a new rudder, now I can turn Port and Starboard while sailing. I'd already spent $30 dollars upgrading to a TI like locking down haul rudder control, sure wish I'd read this thread first as that was likely unnecessary.

Also added an additional bolt to lock the drum bolt in place as mine has always backed out easily.

Thanks to everyone, especially Roadrunner, that posted pics and descriptions.


Joe

Tandem Island Rudder Update
By Doug Skidmore
President, Hobie Cat Company

Over the past few weeks we have been reviewing corrective measures for Hobie Tandem Islands experiencing rudder problems. Some users have had the rudder kick up making steering difficult; others have experienced loose gudgeon screws, and some have had worn or broken steering lines.

Though we don’t like hearing about these types of issues on any of our products, we appreciate the honest feedback from our dealers, consumers, and those users that post on our forums so we can better understand the situation and react appropriately.

This notice is to inform you that we are going to resolve these issues immediately and what to further expect from us in the coming weeks and months.

Read the complete statement: http://www.hobiecat.com/support/article ... der-update

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