srm wrote:
If your rudders are not kicking up properly, then fix them. Relying on the pins to break because your rudders are not functioning properly is silly.
I absolutely agree, and spent a good amount of time fixing and tuning up my steering system because of it. I suppose my point was just that if the pins were designed to be the failure point (to protect the transom), I don't like the idea of upgrading them to instead make the transoms the failure point. I'm sure you're right that a broken pin is terribly inconvenient, and I would not want to experience it. I just figured that there was still a healthy margin of safety on aluminum pins, otherwise they wouldn't have used them to begin with. If it was in fact a design flaw, or the safety margin is too low, then I better understand the reason for the upgrade.
I wonder if they're more likely to fail in salt water, as I've sailed pretty hard in fresh water without issue. In any case, years of experience (srm) certainly trumps my assumptions about the intent or calculations of Hobie Alter a few decades ago!
