2010 AI Rudder Mod Question

Hi Mat,

I have a 2010 AI and the nearest dealer is over 2000 kilometers away so I'm it.
Fortunately I am pretty handy.

The rudder down control is very stiff. I saw your post about the TI here:

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=26418


Had a look and my rudder head looks the same on my AI. Do you recommend performing this mod on the AI also?

Need to clarify this before I start performing rudder-ectomy

Thanks,
Brett

Check your rudder lines inside the hull are not wrapped around each other. Mine were. By releasing one line and untangling it then reconnecting, it is much less stiff.

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

I don't know what is causing the stiffness--Kayaking Bob's suggestion is something to follow up on.

I do know if your lines entering the rudder housing are passing thru that small hole as shown in the picture, YOU DO NEED TO DO THE MODIFICATION AS SUGGESTED FOR THE TI. That stress on that sharp edge abraids the line and will ultimately cause it to break. When I did the operation on my wife's 2009, I took the housing apart, removed the lines, cut the offending piece off and rethreaded the lines. Fortunately, half way through it, Rick Parks came around and gave me a hand getting it all back together. He said when when he did his, he did not take the housing apart. Rather, he left everything in tact and simply used a coping saw blade to (carefully!) cut the offending part away. He said it was easy compared to the disassembly method I used.

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

Well I spent hours scoping the internet, taking pics inside the hull and scratching my head.

Finall had enough and just sat down yakside with my tools and got working.
The cables seemed free enough and I could see no tangles inside so I figured the problem must be the drum itself.

Took the thing apart and no big deal. While it looks like go-go-gadget-kayak, it's pretty straight forward really. But I took happy snaps along the way just in case.

I think the problem was just that the pivot bolt was a little tight - might also have been some spectra doubled back and fouling inside the housing?

I noticed that there was a score mark on the outside drum where the hex head of the bolt contacts the drum and that means friction and that means resistance. I intend to place a plastic washer here to remedy this. Fortunately the design incorporates one inside the housing which should do the job nicely.

Thanks for the help guys,
Brett

Hi Keith,

Did you notice much difference in the up-down control after you performed the mod? Was it on a TI or an AI?

The spectra has filed a bit of a groove there but I am still hesitant to start sawing at this point - after all I just got the thing! I am fairly confident of doing the disasembly with camera in hand.

Those internal cables inside the hull are a %$#~! - need to be a japanese dwarf to mess with them.

Brett.

I have found that having too much tension on the steering control lines makes raising and lowering harder when the rudder is in the midships position. It also requires much greater force to steer through the midship position as well. Give the lines a little slack so it has a tiny bit of free play when steering straight ahead, this makes steering and raising/lowering alot easier.

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