Hobie 21 SC Helm Problems, both Lee and Weather

Hi Guys,

I bought a Hobie 21 SC about 4 weeks ago. I have extensive cat sailing experience from my younger days. I'm 59 now. When sailing this boat I am getting a lee helm on the starboard tack, ranging from light to heavy, and then a weather helm on Port. I have adjusted the toe and rake on the rudders to factory specs. The weather helm on port tack is not bad but the lee helm on starboard is a little unnerving when you let go of the tiller and the boat turns down wind on it own. I have never sailed a boat with a different helm on each tack. Anyone else every have this problem and how did you solve it?

Thanks, John

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John and Peter Costanza
Palm Harbor, FL

1. check shroud lengths are the same, and are 'set' the same.
2. check rudder toe in
3. check boat is square (bow of port full to stern of starboard hull, and visa versa)
4. check daggers or centreboards are descending 'straight'
5. check all controls (e.g. mast rotator) are set symmetrically.

anyone add anything else?

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2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Check rudders for warp. This happened on some Wave / Getaway rudders a number of years ago. If you replaced rudders in that period... maybe they are hooked to one side.

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

Hi John,

Both rudders were replaced Feb/Mar 2009 with new ones purchased from the Indianapolis dealer, Sailboats, Inc.

I had not experienced weather on one tack while lee on the other. The boat only was used a couple outings a year recently and I remember two outings ago it seemed to have a little weather helm on one tack and a lot of weather helm on the other. During the last trip I thought about making adjustments to improve this, but not until we were already at the gulf and without proper measuring tools, etc., and not remembering which tack had the heavier helm. Ultimately, before launching we made a slight increase to the rudder rake on both but don't really know what the result was since we didn't really have strong winds the entire trip. We had maybe 12 MPH wind max during the 4 or 5 days and I didn't notice anything uncomfortable or disturbing with that wind level. I had not really considered anything significant going on, assuming some minor adjustment needing correction.

If the rudders do have a warp I suppose the only real solution is to replace them. If they do, I am wondering 2 things: Since this was a known issue with either design or manufacturing, would Hobie consider helping you out somehow? And, in the meantime, after checking everything else too, if you are feeling some lee helm on one tack, could it be improved by identifying the offending rudder and reducing rake on that one rudder?

If you want to discuss further, feel free to give me a call/text/email. Otherwise, I hope you are enjoying the boat.

Regards,

Eric

PS. I am working on changing my user name but haven't figured out how just yet.

Thanks for all the good ideas. I will check everything recommended, sail the boat and get back to you.

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John and Peter Costanza
Palm Harbor, FL

After trying the many suggestions and then talking to Matt Miller from Hobie, who was a wealth of information and experience, my brother Peter and I checked the rudder blades for foil symmetry on each side of the blades. We discovered that the starboard side of each rudder blade was deformed,sunken, and not properly foiled like the port side. So this seems to account for the fact that we have a lee helm when sailing on a starboard tack and a weather helm when sail on a port tack. Since this was a manufacturing defect we are hoping that Hobie will help out with the replacement. At any rate it is quite gratifying to find what appears to be the problem after scratch our heads for so long. Thank for all the help everyone. I will let you know what happens when we replace the rudders.

Happy sail and greeting from Florida.

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John and Peter Costanza
Palm Harbor, FL

Thanks All,

Turns out Matt Miller was absolutely right. It was the the 2009 nylon rudder blades. On both blades the foil was somewhat flatted on the starboard side compared with the port sides. We replaced the blades with a new set of beautiful EPO 2's that I purchased at our local Hobie dealer, Tackle Shack. What a difference. After some trial and error sailing in light to medium winds, we set up the boat of with a slight weather helm as Matt suggested in his FAQ on rudder blade setup. We also rebuilt the rudder system with all new parts except the springs. We took the boat out Saturday with 15 to 20+ mph winds. The wind picked up so much we decided to reef the main to the first reefing point and still flew a hull with two men and two girls on board and all this with a light weather rudder on both port and starboard tacks. It's like a new and altogether different boat.

If you come to Dunedin, FL and the Dunedin Causeway let me know. It would be nice to sail with you.

Peter and John Costanza. 727-244-2057 [email protected]

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John and Peter Costanza
Palm Harbor, FL

Awesome!!

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

I'll second that!

Also pretty amazing to live in a place where you can sail like that in January. Gotta go now, time to put another log on the fire and dream about Spring. It is snowing as I type here in Indiana, with 4 to 7 inches forecast for tonight and subzero temps this week. No sailing here for awhile.

I'll third that!
Barely 30* here in Memphis and i've got two 16's and a H20 to prep for spring. I miss sailing my hobie a ton. Anyone in for a trip to the FL keys in mid March?? I've got time off to do the Dry Tortguas / Northern keys sail! March 16th weekend. Maybe just a local sail??? Key West??

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Tim Grover

Memphis, TN fleet 134
Hobie 20! G-Cat5.0 and 2 Hobie 14's
Photobucket now wants $100 to post pics on forums......... pass.

Did the TV man say minus 25C last night?
The good thing is that with those kind of temperatures, we can get some ice sailing in once the lakes harden up.
Florida and the Caribbean? we can only dream.....

enjoy your 21SC.....

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'