Possible cause for tight right steering on Tandem Island.

Mark, The only experience I have sailing a TI is the one time I sailed Mark's (TxYackMan)...I couldn't believe how difficult the steering was on his boat...sounds a lot like your experience with your boat...in a strong puff on a port tack it was impossible to keep the boat from rounding up into the wind...it felt like the rudder had kicked up and was creating tremendous weather helm...the only thing to do was to dump the wind out of the sail in order to turn the boat off the wind...

_________________


CaptRon
"Anything's gonna happen,
it's gonna happen out there"

The simple solution for tight steering lines... is to loosen them. They should only be as tight as required to keep the rudder from flopping left.

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

I have tried to loosen them. If I set them too loose then there is too much slop in the steering. I have tried to make them only snug but not tight. Things work great till a puff comes along then starboard steering is very hard to control, and on some occassions almost impossible to turn starboard or even maintain a straight path and only thing I can do is turn to port. I have attempted readjustment in almost every trip out since I have had the TI. Yesterday was ok but winds real light 5-10. I cannot decide if this is due to the up/down controls being overly tight (which I tried to loosen) and or the steering lines being to tight. I will keep trying to figure this out.

_________________

I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

Ron,

Can I have your rudder assembly? LOL. Got an extra one? Let's adapt it to the TI.

_________________

I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

Its the down line and lock not working correctly if you have steering issues. Loosen the drum bolt a bit and check by hand to be sure the rudder locks and does not spring back away from the locking hook. Seat the rudder down with down line tension and cleat. Tighten the steering lines just enough to keep the rudder from flopping to a left turn.

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

I've had all of the problems you have indicated and have come to the conclusion the TI has a great propensity to weather helm. At first I thought the boat had the steering issue many others here were having where the rudder was not locking properly. After inspection of the rudder I determined this was not the problem. Also as you mention, if I put too much tension in my down line, I had to really work just to keep the rudder straight. However, if I muscled it over to the starboard the boat still wouldn't turn. At first I thought maybe the rudder lever was turning, but the actual rudder was not since I was possibly putting so much force on the lines that they were stretching. But, I determined the rudder was turning. Also, I noticed in strong winds the boat would not turn to port either. The only thing I could do was to let the sail out to steer away from the wind in these conditions. So the propensity to weather helm is quite high as once the winds kick up above 14 mph (estimate) the rudder becomes useless to steer away from the wind. It's only use is to try and keep you from turning more into the wind. Unfortunately, this means slowing down and furling the sail in these conditions.

This is not my experience with the boat... so....

What seat are you in? Sit aft. Dagger down? Gusty conditions maybe? A strong sudden gust will round the boat up because it doesn't have enough water running over the rudder foil... nothing to steer with. You need to get moving, so point lower, sheet lightly at first... then as you speed up a bit you can pour the power on and head higher. If you point too high and go too slow, then get a puff... I could see what you describe maybe happening.

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

I have only been out in tandem mode with the heavier person in both the front and rear. Yes, the dagger is always down. This typically happens to me when there is a strong steady wind with mostly rough waters and the boat is moving along a good pace of at least 6 mph or more. The boat doesn't round up, I just cannot steer it away from the wind. I can steer into the wind without issue, it's getting it to turn away from the wind that's the problem. The only way I have found to turn it in these conditions is to sheet the sail out. At slower speeds and calmer conditions I do not experience this.

Heavier person should be in the aft seat. If the heavier person was forward, that may reduce the rudder surface in the water. It is normal while sailing to sheet out to bear away from the wind. A puff will round every boat up... just the rudder alone can not prevent that in all boats. Especially when sailing closer to the wind.

How much weight total? A heavily loaded boat will also act this way. Do you use the tell tails for sail trim?

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

I've had the heavier person in the front and rear. When I learned the need of sheet the sail out I had myself in the rear (190 lbs) and my passenger in the front (approx. 155 lbs) for a total of about 345 pounds. In the photo below I was having the same problem with my passenger (approx 140 lbs) in the rear and myself in the front (190 lbs). So are these considered a heavily loaded boat? No other gear was on board.
I do try to use the tell tails to help trim the sail. However, most of the time I will first try to adjust the angle of the boat slightly before trimming the sail since it takes quite a bit of effort to pull the main sheet. If you look very closely you can see the red wind vane above the mast noting the wind direction.

Where's the other ama? Is it buried?

_________________
2010 Tandem Island!

Flaneur, I've never sailed a TI, but in an AI, the mainsheet is like the fine adjustment and the rudder is like the coarse controller of the boat. That looks like quite strong wind you were in and I wonder if it may be worth furling the sail a little, to the point where it's not so difficult to use the mainsheet. Just a thought.

_________________

It's probably a little buried, but it's also the chop in the foreground that is hiding the ama and the boat.

If the ama was buried then you probably had too much sail out. The wind must of been howling as I've had trouble burying an ama in my TI for more than a second of two. Up to 18mph I can get away without reefing in my TI, so you were probably in a much higher range that takes much more finesse to steer the boat then just turning the rudder.

_________________

Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

Yeah... reduce sail or bear away and reach. Trying to sail closer hauled when its pumping is tough. You bury the ama and round up. Once on a reach, you can get up speed, then bring the course back up a bit higher.

Still, heavier person aft is best.

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