Tandem Island rudder control

I was recently at my dealer and looked at my TI that had just come in to have a first look at it. I didn't get a chance to try it out in the water just yet so I just checked it out on land. One thing I noticed was that the steering didn't seem to "stick" like it does on my Oasis. What I mean is that the friction in the steering mechanism seemed insufficient to keep the rudder at it's current position and at a particular position the rudder moved and settled slightly to the left when you released the tiller for some reason which I didn't have time to investigate. The boat was level so it can't have been because of the rudder falling to one side though. My question is if this is something others have experienced, and if it's been a problem in practice, and also how the steering mechanism have worked in general?

Check out the following discussion:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=25549

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Thanks, but that thread only seems to refer to the problem of getting the rudder to lock down properly, something I'll also try to check thoroughly though.

What I'm wondering is if the friction in the steering mechanism is enough to be able to release the tiller for a while without veering of course? I understand if you have to keep your hands on it att all times when sailing, due to the higher rudder forces, but it seemed to be so light that it'd be a problem even when pedaling.

It's similar to steering a car. Apart from minor adjustments, the boat should tend to keep travelling in a straight line with no input from the rudder. If anything, in the AI, there's too much friction in the system, which allows the rudder to remain deviated when the tiller is released. Ideally, you should be able to let go of the tiller and the rudder should point straight back. If you are having to consistently deviate the tiller to hold a course, it may be a signal that you are experiencing weather helm and need to ease or furl the sail. It probably doesn't matter that the rudder flops to the left in the TI when the boat is out of the water as that could be caused by even minor imbalances. Once the boat is moving through the water, the rudder should center itself.

_________________

On the Tandem, the rudder down line must be pulled tight. The down line is responsible for keeping the rudder down in the water. Then, the highly tensioned rudder down line pulls the rudder to port. This is due to the rudder down line being attached to the port side of the rudder blade.

_________________
Marc K
2010 Hobie Tandem Island
Boynton Beach, FL

I was pleasantly surprised how balanced the Tandem was with full sail and a moderate wind.
I could let go of the tiller and she held true. My AI always requires at least a gentle control
of the tiller.

I guess I need to look more closely at my TI steering rig, as I can't sail or peddle it without a significant amount of tension on the helm due to the side loading on the rudder.

_________________
Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

This is different from the tension on the control lines. You should be able to let go of the handle and maintain course. There is very little load on the tiller handle.

I suspect you have a rudder that is not locking down.

Loosen the drum bolt so the rudder easily seats into the latch (fully down) position.

Pull the down line hard and cleat it.

If the rudder seems to turn left on its own... increase the tension on the steering lines.

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