Twist & Stow Rudder malfunction

Hi All,

I just wanted to report a problem I had and the solution in case any others run into a similar situation.

I launched out on the bay and went to drop the rudder to pedal to the fishing grounds. The up down handle was harder than usual and when 3/4 the way to the down position it snapped back violently and the rudder did not budge.
I went ashore and tried to use the lever to get the rudder down to no avail. I finally just lowered it by hand for the days use. Back at home I noticed the rudder was very resistant to up or down even by hand. I inspected all the cables and lever .. nothing wrong there. I worked the rudder up and down by hand only to see the down cable go slack so I figured there was a bind in the spindle.

Apparently with use the center bolt which the left turn cable goes through can tighten itself. Using a crescent wrench I worked the bolt back and forth and loosened it only an 1/8". The rudder flips up and down easily now.

So if your rudder starts getting tough to lift or lower with the handle check and see if it is resistant to moving by hand if so release some tension on the through bolt.

I thought I had a cable problem or the weight of the sailing rudder messed it up but ended up being a simple fix.

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

Its posted in our FAQ page as well - along with many other useful tips:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=6943