Rudder rake

Is the rudder rake adjustable on the getaway, took the new 2021 getaway out for its maiden sail last weekend, and in strong winds (10-15mph) it really wants to head up, needs a constant pull on the tiller to stay straight. One of the rudders was really hard to get up and down, I would think that will be an easy adjustment though, could that be the issue, it’s so tight it’s not quite seating? What tools will I need to bring to adjust it, the boat is parked at my friends cabin, so I can’t just run out to the garage to adjust it or look closely at it.

Also, is there a PDF of the setup guide/manual, I’m not sure if I didn’t get mine, or maybe lost it in the garage.

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Rudders.... They're always going to struggle if you really power up the boat... They're just plastic! I'm looking to get some wooden laminated rudders built which will be stiff and hopefully up to the job of controling weather helm.
Weather helm is probably desirable in getting the Getaway to point properly upwind. Raking the rig back, like the 16s helps this, bringing the center of effort nearer the rudders. It's a trait followed by racers of catamarans with no dagger boards.eg Hobie 16s, Getaways, Dart 18s, all of which I've had experience racing.
Having said that Getaways are great cruising boats, and that, I understand is their main design brief. Best ignore such things and just enjoy the unbridled sailing experience.

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Ashus
Mirror, Bosun, Laser, Fireball, Hobie 16, Dart 18, IOR 1 Tonner, 1720, Ozgoose, Hobie Getaway

[quote="ashus" Raking the rig back, like the 16s helps this, bringing the center of effort nearer the rudders.[/quote]

I thought raking it back increased the weather helm by pushing the center of effort aft.

My 2012 Getaway has a very light helm. In light and moderate winds, it's absolutely neutral, I can put the tiller down for minutes at a time. In higher winds, it becomes lightly weatherly. I've raked the mast slightly. I tend to sail with a tight jib, and the mainsheet traveler out a bit, so I think that helps keep it neutral. Maybe swap your rudders? I pay no attention to which side I put the rudders on, and it doesn't affect my helm at all, but maybe...

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Correct.

Check to be sure the rudders stay down all the way when sailing. We had some issues with rudder blades that were asymmetrical... weather helm on one tack and lee helm on the other.

EZ LOC rudders are not rake-adjustable.

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

Thanks, was going to check the mast rake, but I do almost feel like it is opposite on opposite tacks like you mention. I have a set of rudders on a wave that sails perfectly straight, can I fit those to the getaway, to test out or will the different handles interfere with the seats? Would be nice to be able to narrow down to rudder/not rudder issue.

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You should be able to swap the rudder blades or the tiller arms? Both EZ LOC?

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

For anyone wondering, yes, wave rudders will swap over to a getaway and not interfere with the wing seats. Turns out I must have at least one bad rudder, sails straight as an arrow with the wave rudders and the wave exhibits the same pulling with the getaway’s rudders.

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Should the getaway and wave rudders and arms be the same? Picture is getaway/wave/getaway bolted together, note wave arm is slightly off from getaway arms.

Would that be enough to cause steering issues?

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Tiller arms would have no effect on rake. The rake is set by the housing bolt and cams that lock into the rudder detents.

Is the helm the same on both tacks?

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

It’s been a couple months since they lowered the lake to unusable… so I can’t quite remember, but it definitely pulled hard in both directions, but I can’t remember for sure if it was opposite pull or same. I know it wanted to tack/head to windward on a starboard tack (I had to pull the tiller towards me), I think but not positive it wanted to Gybe when on a port tack, but not pulling quite as hard. Using the wave rudder set I could take my hands off the tiller and sail straight.

I’ll unbolt them and measure center to center on the bolt hole and the connecter rivet, and check the detents, didn’t think about that. The fronts of the housings by the pintles all measured up the same, and there was no visible extra plastic that might be pushing one back a little. Anything else to measure?

Side note, my friend wants to know if they are going to be importing and selling any of the recent euro worlds boats?

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No Euro Worlds boats are coming to the US.

Look carefully at the foil shape of the rudders. It may be sunk-in on one side. That would cause asymmetrical helm issues.

This was an issue at one time due to the injection molder releasing the injection pressure before the blade was fully formed.

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

I think you’ve solved it. When I run a straight edge down the wave rudder, the far end doesn’t touch the rudder because of the curvature. When I run it down the getaway rudders in the same area, the far end touches the blade and there is daylight underneath.

Getaway


Wave

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Weather helm is an issue of mast rake, not rudder rake. Yes you can adjust rudder rake to make steering easier, but it will not change the actual amount of weather helm you have. To reduce weather helm, rake the mast a bit forward of where it is now.