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PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:45 pm 
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Ok, so I have started several threads in this form and have talked to my dealer and have had no answer to my windward pull on the helm. I just can't do it anymore, I had to drill a hole in the rudder stick to put a long pin it so I can hold on. By the end of the day I can hardly lift my arms as they are so sore. I have done the following, got as much forward rake as I can, shimmed out the upper brackets on the rudders to give them some rake, and tightened up the bolts on the rudders to make sure the stay in the lock down position. I love my boat but I just can't sail it any more like this, someone please help me so I don't have to give up on Hobie cats!!

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:06 am 
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Shimming the upper bracket on your rudders doesn't do any good. The whole point of raking the rudders forward is to get the center of effort of the rudder, closer to the pivot point. By putting a shim behind the upper bracket, you are moving the center of effort of the rudder forward, but you are also moving the pivot point forward so you are getting no gain.

I'm a 16 guy and don't know much about the getaway rudders so I cant be much help here, but you need to rake the rudders forward, without also raking the pivot point forward.

On the 16's this is done on the old boats by drilling new holes in the rudder.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:16 am 
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I don't know how you could do this with the moulded plastic pieces that hold the blade in place? I will spend some time looking at it today. Might be easier to change the indent in the rudder where it locks up or down. Maybe a Hobie engineer may be able to help? :?: As a follow up the problem is directly proportionate to the wind speed, the more wind the more the pull, after about 15 knots of wind the boat becomes unsailable.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:43 am 
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Quote:
Ok, so I have started several threads in this form and have talked to my dealer and have had no answer to my windward pull on the helm.


If you have EZ Loc rudders we did have an issue a few years ago with asymmetrical rudders. One side sunk in. This caused heavy weather helm on one tack but neutral or even lee helm on the other. If that is the case, the blades should be replaced under warranty.

One thread on this from 2008: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=10293&hilit=weather+helm

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:19 am 
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Ok thanks Matt, you are the man!! After looking at the rudders the left one is definitely a lot different than the right one. Here are some pics.

Image

Image

Image

Image

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Image


Image

Image

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:19 pm 
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The port side looks twisted.


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:36 am 
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Maybe? Perhaps just the ange the picture was taken at. If is off just a little i don't know how that would affect helm?

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:59 am 
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So what do you think Matt, should I get my dealer to order two new blades?

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 4:50 pm 
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Ok, so I did some testing today, wind 0 to about 7mph what i noticed is that when I am on a port reaching there is considerable more upwind helm than on the opposite reach.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:37 am 
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Try swapping the rudder blades with each other and see if the helm moves to the other side. If so try just replacing the one think is bad.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:11 am 
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How about things beside the rudder, like uneven shrouds, cracked battens, or hull issues?


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:55 pm 
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Can't he use one rudder at a time to isolate which one is bad? I think you should take them to the dealer, you've spent enough effort.


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:50 pm 
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One may fix this if the helm is not heavy on both tacks. Port tack is loading the starboard blade, so work it out that way as to which is the problem. You can also fill the hollow side with epoxy putty in a pinch.

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:28 pm 
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Just to follow up, I did receive two new rudders from my dealer (many thanks to James at Ebs Sports in Saskatoon and Hobie Cat for all the support and help). Now that I knew what to look for I checked all four rudders and found one of the new ones that was not very symmetrical between the two sides. I took my palm sander and reshaped it till it was nice and symmetrical. Installed them today and went for a test sail, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! It still has a very slight weather helm (advantageous should you get seperated from the boat) but very manageable even in our 25K wind today!! Hobie Cat I love you guys and I love my boat!!

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