TIDALWAVE wrote:
Matt...
Do you have any estimate on when you might have a fix for the Starboard Steering problem for the TI?
I spent the day on the upwind side of a lake...wind averaged 15 knots with gusts to 27 knots.
Wave heights were only a max of 1 foot. 9 out of 10 runs where my GPS showed
hull speed exceeding 9 knots...the starboard steering went out!
I had the sail furled enough to minimize most tendency for weather-helm but enough area to get the TI up to a good speed...I wanted to see if just fast water past the rudder would pop it out. In half the runs I waded out into waist deep water to make certain that the rudder was down and correctly in the groove. For the other half of the runs, I turned the rudder to a port heading so that the rudder would drop sharply into the groove...on four of the runs I slid to the rear to inspect the rudder to affirm that the rudder was in the groove as far as it could go. I also had the down rudder line tension cammed tight with the rudder 'cap' tensioned with the recommended gap.
Yet as soon as a good gust came up and the TI began to really accelerate...when I hit over
9 knots...consistently the rudder popped loose and I lost starboard steering. I would jam over
to port and put the TI into irons...raise the rudder...drop it sharply...get going again...and
as soon as the TI really began to fly the rudder would pop back out again.
I could also get the rudder to pop out at slightly slower speeds by sharply trying a starboard
tack into the wind. If the hull was really moving...in excess of 8 knots the rudder would pop out!
I assure you that in almost all of the trials I visually inspected the rudder in its 'locked' position and the rudder 'cap' was tensioned so that the requisite gap was there.
It appears that at least with my TI...I cannot trust sailing it in anything more than gentle breezes...any stiff wind and I am in deep *@#%.
For the rest of the day...I launched my AI and had a blast...I buried the bow and lee amas quite a few times but never had a bit of trouble with steering.
I would really like to use the TI but at this point, I guess, if the wind is strong...I will not
be sailing the Tandem.
What direction were you sailing compared to the wind direction? Is there a correlation with upwind being more prone
I would imagine that downwind will reduce the side loading?