hey Pav, just checked the forums and noticed your post. i to have a ai 10 and have recently started my second summer sailing period. after a few recent uses, the up and down control lines stopped working, to the extent that one eventually felt the internal lines or fittings would break due the the forces exerted. i checked the internal lines using a mirror through the back hatch and they seemed to move freely, then found that the rudder up down movement wasn't responding to the control lines being pulled. duh! i loosened the one line knot and removed the large s/s nut, allowing the rudder to detach. all looked fine but i cleaned the areas normally confined when assembled, and touched all contact points with a bit of vaseline. reassembled the rudder and after a bit of to and fro, up and down movements - retied the knot. i then tested it and it worked perfectly, as it still does.
so rather than spray wd40 or an equivilent into the hidden area, where the lines would become coated, simply opening up and lubing seems the better choice. unless the lines like being lubricated. (hobie?)
another tip for you all is when i'm about to push off, or enter the water, i manually half raise the rudder so the down line control function has half the work to do when deployment takes place.
another tip, regards another post read today. after sailing, packing and rinsing the ai off, i carry a small plastic tube and i use this to siphon water out of the rod holders and mast receiver. with a steep hill next, excess water isn't needed.
hope that helps.
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