Steering & Rudder q's

Hi all,

After sailing my new TI (2015) for a bit I have some questions: the range of motion of the rudder seems to me to be on the small side, what is the maximum angle it should swing thru from one side to the other? I had tried to tune the steering a bit because one steering handle doesn't point dead forward when the other handle does, and I can't get the rudder to align exactly straight and have both steering handles also straight. I gave up trying. Maybe because I'm used to bigger boat steering, I'm not used to the range of motion for a kayak rudder.

Also, what's the feeling on locking the rudder down while in shallow areas? If I have the rudder cleated down, and go over a sandbar, will it flip up without damage, or should I keep it uncleated so that it can if needed? I was in the Barnegat Inlet area yesterday, lotsa sandbars, and some came up rather suddenly, altho I was able to uncleat & flip it up before the rudder got stuck.

Thanks!

People have commented about misaligned rudder controls. Your dealer should be able to correct this.

Going over a sand/oyster bar, all you have to do is have your rudder uncleated--it will flip up (ride up), out of harms way, on its own. If you have it cleated down when you run across a shallow area, you will likely break the shear pin. Remember, in general, your rudder needs to be cleated down hard for proper control. When your rudder is not cleated down, steering is hard if you have significant sail up. Greatly reduce the sail, when going over shallow areas with the rudder uncleated. Even better, furl your sail and use your MirageDrive for propulsion. Your Drive works even if the fins cannot be fully extended because it is too shallow--just flutter the fins. If all else fails, get out of your boat and pull it to deeper water.

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

The rudder should steer roughly 45 degrees to either side.

I used the rudder uncleated and found it worked rather well. In shallow area i'd pull the miragedrive lift the rudder and daggerboard and paddle. This is the only way to be 100% safe

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Every day is an Adventure Island day

I tend to leave my centrebaord down, and use it as a "feeler guage" (although I flutter the front drive fins if in shallow water), and place my hand on the centreboard knob, so I can feel when the board touches the bottom. At that point, I can quickly uncleat the rudder down line, knowing that the centreboard will tip back automatically. If the shallows persist, I will raise the rudder.

Around about now, I get the paddle ready...

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

Thanks everyone! It was so much fun to take the TI to areas I couldn't get near when I had the big boat inside the Inlet. And evil fun sitting on the beach watching people kick all their passengers out on the sandbars to try to drag their boats over. I do need to work on my hop back in the boat when it takes off again maneuver.

Altho a short ride hanging on to the rear aka is very refreshing....