Stearing handles no longer centered on both sides.

I mounted stealing handles on both sides of the kayak. After a few weeks of hard use, the left side is pointing slightly left when the rudder is centered, and the right side, slightly to the right. It does not cause an issue or anything, but I was hoping there might be any easy way to fix this. I am guessing this might be an ongoing issue as the rudder cable might stretch over time?

Does Hobie have any type of diagrams as to how all of the cabling is ran?

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Have you used the rudder "Boa" to take up the slack between the left and right rudder handle?
Your owners manual talks about this adjustment.

Once my PA-14 is on the trailer, I always remove/take the tension off the Boa and drop the rudder in the down/deployed position, to remove unnecessary forces on these devices.
Prior to launch, I retract the rudder and apply mild Boa tension....once underway, I tweak the Boa for final slack removal between the rudder handles.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Owners manual? Is that in the folder next to the Hobie catalog of all stuff I have been buying?

I have been keeping it retracted - when trailering and in storage. Will read the owners manual evening. I have adjusted the BOA but not in the way you mentioned, but that makes great sense.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

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

So the BOA rudder tensioner really just applies tension to the 'blue line'? Interesting. If that is the case, it makes sense why mine is out of alinement. I need to release the BOA, center the handles then gently apply tension until i get good steering control with the handles centered. I think i basically have them over tensioned at the BOA.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Actually, I think you need to remove the rudder cover and pull the slack out of the green and red lines. Mine has been off a little too ever since I installed the H-rail kit on my 2014. I just have not taken the time to pull the cover and do it. I actually have the PPM plate installed so a little more than 4 screws.

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Keith Black

2014 PA 14 Olive
2014 WS Ride 115x Camo

I have been hoping to avoid that little plate like the plague. But I guess it is there for a reason. I will do a little research as to what you are suggesting, but I am guessing once I get it opened it will be pretty apparent.

So basically, release the rudder and boa. Center the rudder, open the rudder cover, then pull the lines taught on either side until the handles are horizontal with the H-Rail, tighten back up, and reattach the cover?

Maybe a stupid question, but since I am thinking seriously of getting a PPM in the next couple of weeks, do you have to completely remove the mounting plate to get to the rudder cables? Or can you just remove the screws, but keep it hinged - so to speak - on the back handle?

One more question, might I have created the problem by over tightening the boa? Or just stretching cables on a new PA ridden hard out of the box?

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

The adjustment is very easy once you remove the rudder cover (4 screws) relax the BOA tension, readjust the lines/rudder handles with the rudder centered and that should do it.
Any slack between the port and starboard rudder handles is taken out by using the BOA......light tension is usually all that is required.....if it's too tight, the rudder handles now have excessive tension and are hard to turn.

The spectra lines DO NOT STRETCH!

As I noted earlier, relax the BOA tension when you are done for the day or in storage/trailering, etc....

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

With the PPM mounting plate I think I could just loosen and hinge it back. I do have the handle wrapped so I may have to loosen a little further. I intend to adjust mine this weekend as have a trip next week.

I have not routed the emergency release yet on the PPM but will investigate how to run that this weekend as well. I think on one of the other post you were asking about that and rigging something to reset it. I do not think it will be an easy task to rig up something to remount the PPM one you have pulled the emergency release. I think the only way to lock it back is by hand. However, you would not have to exit the yak to do it. You can just climb/walk back there and do it. My first trip out had to go pull the lithium battery while on the water. Had to climb the seat and my Blackpak but was able to do it comfortably. Below is pic of the plate on mine.

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Keith Black

2014 PA 14 Olive
2014 WS Ride 115x Camo

I have been trying to find time to do some work on the PA, like fix the rudder, but work that pays the bills is keeping me pretty busy. Taking tomorrow night off to do kayak and trailer maintenance. Need this stuff done, as I am hitting the road for southern Illinois lakes (Devils Kitchen and Cedar Lake) on Friday evening.

Will open the rudder hatch and see what I can do to adjust the cables.

Tarheel, I am guessing you painted the PPM mounting plate. Looks good, matches the SeaDeck well. Did you pop the logo of the mounting plate and spray paint it, or just mask it out?

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

I popped the logo off and had it vinyl wrapped and placed it back on. Did the same one on front of boat where I have Nav lights. Was worried paint might scratch off too easy so chose to wrap instead of paint. Eventually I think I am going to do it in the carbon fiber wrap to match other parts on yak.

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Keith Black

2014 PA 14 Olive
2014 WS Ride 115x Camo

Oh, that is the vinyl wrap. It looks good...I did some looking into that in St. Louis...there are about 100 places that do it. I might just paint first and see how it weathers...Krylon Fusion or even the black FlexSeal. It is good to know the logo pops off, figured I would have to mask it and it would end up looking hokey. The guy I talked to about vinyl wrapping a cooler was less than enthusiastic. I ended up buying an Orion 45 in Jungle Camo. It was delivered today, but have not had a chance to put it in the back of the kayak, or even see how it looks/matches. Will post some pictures of that tomorrow.

Saw a video of the rudder lines. This all makes a LOT more sense now. I will just need to loosen the two screws holding the right and left rudder lines. Pull out the slack on either side until the handles return to center. Then tighten everything's back up.

Dr.SteelHead has me thinking about the Spectra line and it not stretching. That is one of my pet peaves of the 550 cord I used on the Anchor Trolley. They all look great until they stretch out over time. Wonder if something like Spectra line might not be a better option.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Finally found the time to adjust he rudder lines. After I realized I still needed to release the BOA, it was simply a matter of loosening the Spectra line from the screws, pulling the slack from each side until the handles were both centered, re-wrapping the Spectra line around the screws and tightening them back down. I was expecting the Spectra line to something different. But it looks just like their braided fishing line...about 80lb or so. One thing I have found with braided line, is that it is very strong, but it does fray fairly easily.

Does anyone know what the lifespan of this line is between replacements?

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the suggestions. It ended up being very very easy to fix this minor nuisance.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937