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 Post subject: AI Rudder issues...
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:06 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:41 am
Posts: 2
Location: MI
I have had my AI for about a month and I have not been sailing in like 20 years, so all of this may be just me but with the posts I have read about rudder mods I cannot help to think it is not me.

The first issue is that my rudder seams to "jam". Most of the sailing I have done has been on Lake St Clair MI and when it starts to get a little ruff sometimes I hit a couple of waves and I hear a clunk and then I can no longer go to starboard, I can go port just fine and begin to do so and I have to crank the rudder all the way to starboard just to fight turning to port. When I look back at the rudder it is not responding like it should. I have to tip it out of the water, swing it back and forth once or twice and tip it back in before it will start working properly again. I thought at first it was weather helm but it never dose it to port it is always to starboard.

The second issue I have is that it always seems difficult to turn to port and easier to go starboard, it does not matter how I am traveling compared to the wind.

It seems to me these issues are related but what is the real cause? Is it something I am doing wrong or dose my rudder and control mechanics have an issue?

Any help would be appreciated…


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:45 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:48 pm
Posts: 129
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
I sail in the Ocean and have had a ton of rudder problems but I believe you may not be locking yours down.

There is a small plastic screw on the side of the rudder mount that attaches to the back of the yak. It screws into the rudder side of the mount about 1/2" and will lock it down until you are in very rough conditions or go above 10mph on an extended run.

When it lets go you can only get the rudder to reseat by unscrewing the lock down and you have to unlock it before comming in or run the risk of busting the mount.

gwiz


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:46 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
Check your Port and Starboard rudder deflection out of the water. Mine was off a bit. You can readjust your control lines to correct if necessary. 8)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:01 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:41 am
Posts: 2
Location: MI
gwiz wrote:
There is a small plastic screw on the side of the rudder mount that attaches to the back of the yak. It screws into the rudder side of the mount about 1/2" and will lock it down until you are in very rough conditions or go above 10mph on an extended run.


I thought of this but the problem I have with this is that all of the fresh water lakes near me that I can sail on have to many weeds near the shore for me to be able to lock down the rudder. In Lake St Clair I have to get out a good 1/2 mile before I bother with tipping up the rudder to dump the weeds that have collected on it. Sometimes I have to do it more than once because of the course I have to take.

Roadrunner wrote:
Check your Port and Starboard rudder deflection out of the water. Mine was off a bit. You can readjust your control lines to correct if necessary.


I will check this again, I wonder if its possible for the cables inside the hull to get stuck or caught on something? Dose anyone know of an easy way to check this?

Thanks for the responses...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:07 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:48 pm
Posts: 129
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
Quote:
I wonder if its possible for the cables inside the hull to get stuck or caught on something?
They run through plastic tubes, you can check to make sure the tubes are clipped up in the yak.

If you have weeds and such wrapping around the rudder the drag will pull the rudder out of its notch in the mount and once that happens you lose most of your control. The reason it is only real bad on one direction is the other pushes it up against the solid part of the twist & stow.

You can also check the up/down lines and make sure that when the rudder is down the up line is a little slack and the down line is tight when running a finger between it and the back deck of your yak.

gwiz


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