Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 3:53 pm

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 57 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 7:31 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
And of course there is also my untried theoretical solution if there are two Islands.

Both furl their sails.
Both undo the same side aka brace, and swing the ama >forwards<
The two Islands are then paddled back to back, so that the hull sides can touch (amas out of the way forward)
The person in the "healthy" Island leans over and fixes the pin in the "crook" one, while the other one keeps the two Islands together and steady..
They crack open a beer, high five each other, swing their amas back to normal, unfurl sails and continue!
QED

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:08 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
Actually, in less than 3' waves we often "mate" the boats, with the bow of the back boat going under one of the front boats aka and pushing the front boats stern under the rear boats front aka. I have actually changed a few rudder-pin right from my boats seat! :)

_________________
Image
Hobie Island Sailing since 2006


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:58 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
Like This:
Image

_________________
Image
Hobie Island Sailing since 2006


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2014 7:05 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:11 pm
Posts: 62
Here is a lesson learned the hard way! Most AI/TI owners store additional rudder pins and the little wire circle 'thingys' in the rear twist/stow hatch. Those things are a pain in the a*% to get off...let alone while not ashore and you have a cooler or other items stored on top of the hatch! I have extras, and easy to open key chain type wire 'thingys' in my front twist/stow hatch for just such an emergency. It is also a good ideal to have easy access to a set of needle nose pliers which can help you get a broken rudder pin out.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2014 11:53 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Bob, that is a variation I hadn't thought of.

Mike, I throw away all of those rings. To get the broken pin out, I stick the new one up from the bottom and push. No need for any ring on the new pin as the up/down lines will hold it in place.

I don't even use the rings on the aka brace bolts, as I just file a small vertical slot where the hole is, just big enough to fit a 2mm ziptie. When the new bracew bolt is secured, I don't even bother cutting off the excess of the ziptie.

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2014 8:41 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:11 pm
Posts: 62
Yea, I was not sure about the circle things...they did not appear to be needed given the up/down lines securing the pin. I think I will no longer use them.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:00 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
For some reason I have broken a lot of rudder pins, usually from my own doing (bumping the ground, or forgetting to raise the rudder). I have a really hard time replacing the rudder pin while out on the water (especially if it's rough). What I do now is I have a small piece of spectra string wrapped around the gudgeon (fit very loosely). I then wrap a loop around the pin on the bottom of the pin and secure it to the pin with a pull tie. What this does is if the rudder pin does break while out on the water it prevents the rudder from coming off altogether, you can still steer (though poorly) even with a broken rudder pin. At least long enough for you to get someplace shallow to get out and put the new pin in. I don't bother with adding spectra line the top joint because the rudder up/down lines kind of help hold that in place, at least until you can make repairs. With the spectra string in place the rudder stays in place and doesn't allow the remaining upper joint to break, but the bottom of the rudder flops back and forth a few inches each way and is very loose but it still steers some (at least better than a paddle (which I have never got to work)). Of course on my boat I have backups of everything so if all fails (and it has on several occasions) I can always start the gas emergency engine and steer home with that, if that fails, I have a second emergency engine just in case and always carry at least a hundred miles of fuel on board though I seldom go more than a few miles off shore. If all else fails I have an FM radio and call BoatUS, who comes and gets me. In my opinion if you go offshore it's worth having a membership to any of the sea rescue organizations ( Sea Tow or BoatUS if in the US). Membership is reasonable (my Boat US membership is about $125/yr) and gives you discounts at West Marine.
Anyone who has ran out of gas or broken down offshore can attest to how much it costs to have any of these guys come get you or bring you gas.

It's usually pretty easy to feel with the steering (if the boat steers very hard) if you have half broken a rudder pin. Basically the little piece of spectra string keeps the rudder from breaking off the remaining joint and the rudder flying up into the air (that's what mine does).

Actually if you come into shore and forget to uncleat the down line on the rudder ( I just did that last Sunday) I can speak from experience (LOL) you will snap the rudder down line long before sheering the rudder pin (at least that's what I did) which is a day ending event and a royal pain to re-string the down line inside the hull on a TI.
Lessons learned:
Never forget to uncleat your rudder down line, it is a very painful experience LOL.
Practice some alternative steering method at least once before you really need something (there are many good alternatives and posts on the subject on this forum).
If you do break a rudder line and it's too deep to anchor, make sure if you jump off the boat to replace the pin that you have a tether line to yourself because once you jump off the boat it becomes very light and will take off without you ( I keep a tether line in my mesh pocket just in case)

I have found it's not the end of the world if you do snap a rudder pin, but if you have not practiced at what to do if you break one out on the water it can be 'not a fun experience'.

Bob


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:00 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:24 pm
Posts: 780
Location: Houston, TX
Thanks KB for the boat "mating" suggestion. Used that option today and it worked great! 2 ft waves.

Vetgam

_________________
Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:48 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:35 pm
Posts: 86
Location: Mt Kuring-Gai, NSW, Australia
On my TI I mostly sail with wife in the back seat, and prefer to sail from the front seat.

This means that when a rudder PIN breaks, my default action is to ask wife to steer
by stalling the boat in appropriate direction using a paddle, as we both peddle with the drives
to get to shore and replace the PIN (carry PINS & long nose pliers in front hatch).

I can't help feeling there should be better solution to this fundamental sailing
component failing "mid flight" as a matter of course, even if that means using a more expensive reinforcement material around the inside of the rear of the hull or something, to support a bigger PIN.

I wouldn't mind if it mainly broke when you were sailing in a Force 7,
but it doesn't. As someone on here pointed out, it tends to break mostly "when you least expect it".


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:34 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:57 pm
Posts: 37
Location: Salem, Oregon USA
This is a really good question to a very bad situation. It must be a huge give-and-take to the designers, safety versus equipment. In my opinion, the designers should have a goal of ease-to-replace at sea.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:32 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:37 pm
Posts: 95
Location: Puget Sound, Washington USA
proyak wrote:
Who needs rudder pins with a bow-thruster?!!! :lol:
Image


Proyak,

Can you tell me about your bow-thruster? How big, how mounted, where are the batteries? Thanks.

Puget


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 4:39 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:11 pm
Posts: 62
I used to sail the TI with the rudder down line cleated....hence, replacing many rudder pins. However, I have found that my rudder stays down uncleated so I just pull it down and don't cleat now. If I hit the shallows, the rudder, along with the kick up centerboard, go up. Since using this method I have not broken a rudder pin. I pull my down line occasionally to make sure the rudder is down. I understand that the rudders with some TI owners comes up with the slightest water resistance and, therefore, must cleat it down. For some reason, my rudder stays down uncleated even when sailing 9 knots.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 4:53 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Mike, I suspect there must be some snag inside your hull grabbing the down line, as universal advice seems to be to cleat the line as hard as possible.

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 5:39 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:24 pm
Posts: 780
Location: Houston, TX
Here is a backup option that works for broken rudder pins, steering lines and up/down rudder lines. Stays on my boat and takes up no no real space. Costs about $1 to build. Just another option, but gives me piece of mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AubwSSnD6G8

_________________
Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:55 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:11 pm
Posts: 62
Tony,
The rudder comes up if I run aground...seems like a safety safety feature by not locking it down. I can lock if need be, but rarely do. I dont loose sailing ability or steerage


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 57 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group