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Repair advice
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=46191
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Author:  thespis43 [ Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:45 am ]
Post subject:  Repair advice

We took our H16 to the beach and upon return, discovered the damage below. Our rudders don't lock in the up position very well and we think that while we were backing the boat up to the shore, one of the rudders was down and hit the ground when a wave shoved the boat backwards.

The first issue is the cracking on top where the rudder pin goes in.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1d-bMOJ90uBaXFrZDlzM1NnVEE

The second problem is the lower gudgeon is bent and slightly pulled out.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1d-bMOJ90uBMWtJeUF2bnBWdDg

I'm at a loss as to what to do about the cracking, or even how badly it needs to be fixed. My idea for the gudgeon was to remove it, hammer it flat again, fill the holes with bondo or foam, and put it back where it was. Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Author:  KarlR [ Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Repair advice

I just had an issue like that with mine. The PO had a similar event and then did a repair which turned out to be not good enough. So I had to tear it apart and re-do it. The cracking at the top is only a cosmetic issue, I think. At least as long at the cracks in the top do not extend over the sealed section of the hull. Otherwise you will have a leak.

Regarding the lower section. Did those screws pull out, or did you back them out? Is the area around the Gudgeon pushed in, cracked, or soft? The construction is this: The Gudgeon sits on top of about 1/8 of fiberglass, and under than is 1/2" of plywood and under that is 1/4" aluminum plate that the screws thread into. In my case the plywood was rotted out, and soft, and the whole thing had to come out and be redone. Not that bad really, but there was nothing short of that that would stop the leaking.

If you backed out the screws and the surface under it is in good condition then you just have to pull out the rest of the screws, replace or straighten the bracket and then reinstall (with sealant). Be aware that removing the screws may be very difficult to impossible. Also, be aware you will probably have to buy new screws directly from Hobie as they seem to be something that is neither standard metric or inch.

If the screws pulled out then the threads in the aluminum plate are stripped. As long as the surface underneath is good you may still get away without a major rework by re-tapping them to M6, which is just slightly larger and very similar in pitch.

As you look at this just keep in mind that not only do you need it to be pretty strong, but this can easily be come a difficult source of leaks.

Author:  srm [ Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Repair advice

The stock screws are a #12-24. This is a standard size, just not a common size. You don't need to buy the screws from Hobie, but you're not going to find them at Home Depot or even West Marine. McMaster Carr or Fastenal would have them.

Anyway, if the screws pulled out then the aluminum plate in the transom is stripped. The easiest repair would probably be to drill out the holes and re-tap to the next size larger which is 1/4-20 (this is a very common screw size).

Don't fool around with bondo or foam, they are nowhere near stong enough for this application.

sm

Author:  sunvista [ Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Repair advice

The crack in the deck lip is no biggie. The rudder pin penetrates the deck lip mainly to allow easier access to install the rudders. Racers have been known to intentionally saw them out in an attempt to get more forward rake. Both of mine have been cut out.

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