Hobie Cat Forums

Hello,

I have scanned the forum but could not find reference to a similar problem. Hopefully you can bear with me through a long(ish) post.

Out in the bay the other day I felt the "a Ping" through the rudder control, followed by a loss of rudder control. After paddling back to the beach I was able to see that everything was intact, but somewhere in the hull the line connected to the rudder (left) was disconnected.

There appears to be a short length of line running through a clear sleeve at the stern of the boat in the hull, at the end of this line was a simple knot, but it was not connected to anything else, neither did it appear to have snapped. Eventually I tracked down the other end of the line connected to the control and was surprised to find it was doubled up in a complex sequence of knots, and has a loop at one end.

After trying various combinations of knots I can get the rudder operational but as soon as I clip it back into what I presume are cable holders on the inside of the deck the rudder jams when the knot hits the end of the sleeve ( I think this may have been why it pulled out in the first place)

Questions :-

Is there a reason why I can't use a single length threaded through the hull, sleeve and out into the Rudder Housing ?

Is the doubled up section of rudder line there for a purpose ?

Is there a "rigging plan" for the rudder lines ?

Am I right in thinking that the sleeves should all be clipped to the inside of the deck as the two other sleeves (rudder retract / lower) are loose and flopping around in the hull ?

I've only sailed the Hobie half a dozen times and am now suffering a little bit of a loss of confidence in it, as I would not want to be too far out if it fails again, its not a fix I could do in the Ocean. On the whole it seems to be a beautifully designed craft, but I am disappointed in the QC of the rudder line.

Cheers.

-Tim

We are working on a detailed guide to the internal workings of the rudder system. I can share the rough draft if you need it. What you have here is an issue with a knot which may not have been tied correctly or has shaken loose. Hard to tell for sure, but not typical of any issues I have heard of.

The aft line tubes are rigged as universal lengths, so we add lines to the forward components whether it be steering or up / down control. It would be difficult to run a single line the entire length due to the sealed "O" ring system in the tubes.

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Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

If you had tightened the steering lines at some point (at the rudder), is it possible something slipped inside and now the knots are hitting the tube? If so, loosen the slack from the rudder, and then re-tie the lines inside the hull, then re-adjust at the rudder again. Then see if anything rubs or hits.

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

The "doubled up" section may be the loop at the aft end of the line attached to the control arm?







All the tubes and lines should be up in the "holder" eye and then tension adjustments can be done at the rudder.



This holder keeps the lines organized and directed down the side of the hull... and keeps the tube high in the hull to help prevent water from running into the hull.

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Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

That's a really useful post. We have just bought an enderscope at work that will fit up a 10mm hole and take really clear video and photos, so I may have to borrow it over the weekend. I'll report back with a full report on the condition of my lines, connections and protrate.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.