Evolution of the Turbofins

I recently got a new set of Turbofins and noticed some subtle changes from my older ones. I already posted on this, but have taken some pictures for clarification. Note, all these changes may not have occurred at the same time, so you may have any combination of these changes.

In this first picture, the newest components are on the top and the older ones are on the bottom.

The first thing you notice is the shorter mast. The new one is 13 15/16" long and the older one is 14 3/16". This loss of 1/4" allows the fin to tuck into the sprocket guard slots for a closer fit.

The second thing you can see is the larger chain notch on the newer fin.

Finally, on the right side of the picture, you'll notice the fin is now pinned in place at the clew (using your original clevis pins) instead of screwed in. This prevents over-tightening and resulting loss of performance and clew adjustment problems. Note the two different pin/screw lengths: short for the newer drive style and longer for the older drive style.



These next two pics detail the changes in the fins. They are identical except for the larger notch and the larger hole for the clew adjusting screw (to accommodate the clevis pin). As you can see, the clevis pin cannot be used with the old clew adjusting screw.



In this last picture, note the difference in mounting. The new fin sits on the left and the older fin is mounted on the right. The latest fit is more snugged up and has a more integrated appearance.



Originally there were four ways to screw up the mounting of your Turbofins: 1) over-tighten the clew mount so the out-haul could not rotate; 2) use the wrong screw on the old drives; 3) over-tighten the mast mount Allen-head screw, thus weakening the mast mount; and 4) fail to seat the mast fully and pointed in the right direction. With the latest changes, you can't commit error #1or 2, so reliability of the fins should be improved.

If you happen to have the shorter masts but the older fins and the notch is causing a problem, you can either trim the fin (haven't tried it) or add a 1/4" dowel plug to drop in the fin mast hole before you mount it (have tried it).

Its nice the way Hobie continues improving their products, even the smallest details!

Thanks for posting the photos. It is good to see that the misalignment and gap have been fixed.

Hi ya going Roadie..?
Thanks for the Troubled Turbo's new update and photos. I was wondering if you have made any on the water, real world performance comparisons between the old and new style Turbo"s with regard to boat speed, agility and percieved exertion or are these changes primarily
for ease of installation and increased durability etc
Thank You
-kepnutz-

Hi Kep,

I've only had a chance to try them out once so far. My initial impression was that they felt about the same, but were a little slower on the top end than the older set-up. But, I was in a hurry and didn't have a chance to adjust the clew tension, kept getting fouled by seaweed strips, didn't know what the tidal state was, and the water was not as smooth as I would have liked. It wasn't exactly the best of test conditions.

So, in all fairness, I decided not to report my impressions as fact until I can do a fair comparison with both sets in the local lake (smooth water, no tide or seaweed). Should happen in a couple of weeks when Lake Hodges (the official testing lake and home to Hodgee, the lake monster) opens!

Hey ya Roadie..
That sums it up pretty good then. We will all stand by till you can put em to the test.
So why do they "close the lake" any ways ? Is there some lake dwellers that require annual solitude from the swarms of rabid boaters or does the ramp shut down due to lack of interest or for some other similar financial reasons?
I still have not taken my yak out solo yet. It has been too effing cold in the mornings and to close to dark before things warm up in the late afternoon. I will get to it pretty soon I think. I just hope my Hobie cart tires can take the 1-1/2 mile trudge down the sidewalk to the river bank and that my neighbors dont think Im a big kook for dragging my tandem through the neighborhood like a big blue wagon...
-Kepnutz-

Hey RR,
Excellent post and great pics--thanks! Been towing any more broken-down stinkpotters or sailboats to shore?? I have yet to go to the Turbos since I don't really have all that much use for them. But I would like to give them a try one of these days. We have a ton of nearby, accessible paddling, pedaling, and fishable (both FW and salt) environments down here, so I rarely need to travel more than a couple of miles one way on the water to get to where I'm going.
Best,
Dick

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Apalach you going to be at the turny tomorrow, you can try my turbos if you would like!

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Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
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Hey, Dick,

You should take Brad up on his offer. They would be excellent for your recent knee surgery -- maybe you can get your doctor to prescribe a set?

PS: Ended up towing 3 stinkpotters with the Turbofins last season. Nobody else wanted their picture taken for some strange reason.

Roadrunner wrote:


LOL--actually I was pretty surprised when that first guy was cool enough to take a pic from his vessel of you towing him in! Not many folks around who would do that.

Didn't get a chance to try out Brad's Turbos yesterday, but we had a good first fishing tournament with 11 folks turning out ins spite of temps in the twenties. See my post about it in the fishing forum:

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5992

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I have a set of the older turbo fins & the probs shown in the pics. Is there any cure other than just buying another set?

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---A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem---

By problems, do you mean visual appearance? I don't feel that the older set poses any performance problem. In fact, comparing the two, the performance is amost identical: at 40 cycles per minute they both run my Adventure at 4.2 MPH (time and distance course); at 60 cycles per minute the old set is slightly faster (5.9 MPH vs. 5.8 MPH).

There is nothing you can do about exchanging your screw for a clevis pin because of the hole size. But, once properly adjusted, it should work fine.

You can shorten your mast by 1/4 inch to get your fins in closer, but as you can see above, it won't improve your performance. I wouldn't do it.

Was there another issue?

No they work just fine. Just didnt like the gap at the fin end. Guess I'll live with it.
Thanks for the info.

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---A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem---