Hit rock with my MD180 Mirage Drive and cracked it :'(

Devastated I was sailing and pedalling along at a great speed and all of a sudden heard a terrible sound and had hit a hidden submurged BOULDER by the sound of it...it sounded horrendous. Thankfully, the damage appears to be fairly minimal compared to the sound...I thought the hull might be damaged or the rudder etc, but it appears only the front Mirage Drive got cracked (and fin mast bent), and the back Mirage Drive got bent.

I'm wondering if this is OK to leave as-is, it seems to be structurally intact? Or if I should replace certain parts, what to replace, likely cost etc? Can I bend the fin masts back straight? I will be doing an off-shore trip soon so I don't want to risk anything falling apart in the middle of sea if there is a risk it can't hold together, although it did manage fine getting back after it happened, it does seem to be in-tact... guess it depends if it is small plastic parts, easily replaceable, or major larger parts and complex...?

I'm not sure what the parts are, I can't seem to see a parts diagram / catalog for the V2 MD180, does anyone have one?

The parts of the forward that cracked... require a Spine replacement if it is damaged beyond use. You can bend the aft drive's mast back.

https://static.hobiecat.com/digital_assets/MD180_PARTS_GUIDE_DHWb0tr.pdf

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

Thanks for the reply Matt, I thought this may be the case after doing more research re needing complete new spine.

Is there any way I could repair this by gluing a small piece of plastic where the cracked bit fell out and was lost (maybe 3D printing...), or just leaving it as is? Or do you think there is a risk whilst at sea something further may fall apart and render the MD unusable? To be honest, I used it to get back just fine, and it structually appears to be sound still, nothing falling out or unstable...so trying to work out if I should replace it or just leave it be? I'm not sure how important that little notch in the plastic is for holding everything together (not sure what this component is called which has broken, is it the outhaul block or sprocket guard?).

To replace the spine is about $400 AUD, or I can get a whole new GT drive for about $900...this is a very costly accident :'(

Trying to weigh up options as money is tight but I also read the issue of people getting sand in their MD180s and going to a GT drive instead so need to balance future longevity and reliability... any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Would I just bend the mast fin back to straight whilst in place or dismantle it all somehow to remove it completely and put it in a vice for instance?

If I ordered a new spine, is this a DIY task to replace?

The biggest issue is that where it is cracked at the top of the 2nd photo the bearings have fallen out. If not all are missing yet then any left will soon depart as well. So you have no front bearing for the front fin.

From what I can tell you need this https://www.mariner-sails.com/hobie-md1 ... embly.html

If the rods can be bent back in place you can re-use them. If not you will need a new mast also.

Remove the fin. Clamp the mast in a vise and use the drive as leverage to bend it back.

Spine replacement requires removal of the chains and idler. Then the drive pretty much comes apart.

Consumer video here:

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