Used Kayak veers left

Hi...I just bought a used Hobie Mirage Outback from 2003 that's in great condition. I took it out on the water today, and had a very tough time paddling it straight. I've previously used a Mirage Sport with no problem. I noticed I was pulling hard to the left, and compensating by paddling much more/much harder with my left arm to keep her straight.

This was with the mirage drive in. It happened with the fins up against the boat or down.

I did notice that the rudder would not come all the way up out of the water (maybe the string has stretched out a bit?) A very small slide of rudder was in the water. But with the rudder as straight as I could get it, I'd still veer to port. I took care to see if I was paddling evenly, the paddle was adjusted (to the center peg hole), the strokes were the same length, etc. I would go in a big circle while trying to straight.

With the rudder in the "up" position, I turned it all the way to the left, and when I repeated the procedure, I did a big circle, this time to the right. Then I turned the rudder control to the maximum setting in the opposite direction (right) and again paddled in a circle to the right.

I...have no idea whatsoever what's going on. There's only about 1/2" of rudder touching the water, but the direction I get moved seems to have no bearing on how that rudder is set. I looked at the hull, there are no marks...any idea of what I can do to straighten it out? Thanks!

Hi MoFo
The heading problems you describe do sound a bit abnormal , therefore, I might suggest leaving the rudder in the down position while paddling to see if that improves your directional tracking. The small amount of drag with the rudder down, could outweigh the extra energy required to struggle to maintain a heading which could prove more beneficial overall.
One thing I did with my old style rudder (2006) was to increase its size and effectiveness by bonding a clam shell cutout of plastic material I made to make the rudder even larger as well as adding a small winglet to improve its bite and to aid steering when encountering boat wakes , waves and rough water or when sailing. The improvements made were well worth the 15 dollars of material and extra time and were not that difficult to do plus its still working well three years later. Just my 2 cents if that helps any.
Have fun
Kepnutz

First... the Outback is a pedal boat and not great for paddling. The hull design is optimized for rudder controlled steering, so it doesn't steer well without using the rudder. Understand also that the handle points to the right at about 40 degrees when the rudder is straight. Confirm the alignment of the rudder vs the handle when at the beach. Control lines should be snug.

Second... when paddling, remove the drive. The drag of the drive up forward will cause the boat to turn. Install the well plug for paddling.

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