Hobie Twist-n-Stow rudder

Replaced the half-assed attached pad-eye cable stays with nylon pipe clamps.  Got the nylon pipe clamps at Ace Hardware in the screws and nuts aisle (30 cents each).  Y'all might want to check the tightness of your hatch screws.

My issues with the rudder continue.  I thought I had discovered and solved the problem by using the plastic pipe clamps, but alas, no.  Once again, suddenly boat takes off to the left and need to crank completely right, wait a bit for something to happen, then readjust on course. 

This time I carefully watched the rudder while under way and could see it pop up, that is, partially retract itself from the water.  It seems the force of the water is too much for the canted twist mechanism at a certain angle.  I limped back to the beach tried to figure out what to do.  In the end I found pulling out the down control and securing it by weaving the handle into the mesh of the side pocket kept the rudder from flipping up.  The rudder functioned appropriately for the next few hours.  Unlike a vertically retracting rudder the retraction angle on the Twist-n-Stow is close to a some normal angle of the force of water.

I need to read all the tuning documents again, look, fiddle, and think about a permanent fix.  I guess my earlier assessment that the Twist-n-Stow is a solution looking for a problem was wrong.  It is a problem in its own right - at least for some reason for me.

Are you pulling the rip cord down through the clam cleat? If it's set there it won't pop back and the rudder won't prop up. If the cleat isn't working take it down to HCNW for a replacement.

Have I mentioned just how much I despise the Twist-n-Stow rudder, its engineering, and its execution?  Shoddy, shoddy, shoddy.  Now I need to replace the half-assed pad-eye attachments with some sort of closed loop. 

I totally disagree. I've been using the twist and stow rudder since it came around on 4 kayaks and never had a single problem. In fact, the only problems I've heard was before they put the clam cleats in. Now that they're standard I can't find a single problem.

BTW I'd mentioned before the pad eyes that hold the rudder cables are there to keep them away from the hatch so they don't get in the way. They also let you do quicker repairs since if they bolted both sides down you'd have to thread them through.

I agree that Hobie makes some stuff that solves problems that don't really exist but shoddy isn't a word I'd use for Hobie gear.

Z

Are you pulling the rip cord down through the clam cleat?
Z

you beat me to it!

Does his boat have the cam cleat?

I've had the same problem with the half-attached padeye and the guide tubes. How's that pipe clamp working for you Demonick?

After spending some time in my Revo, and reading Demonick's issues with the rudder not playing fair by sending him off to the left, I figured he wasn't using the cleat either.  Mine will do the same thing if I don't use the cleat.  My T handle needed to be pulled out about 2" past the cleat to get enough down force to hold it under hard turns.  I pulled the rudder UP/Down cable knot out a ways from the twisty part of the rudder, and retied the knot about an inch further up the lines.  MUCHO better!  I can now get solid down force by just getting the T handle just past the cleat maybe 1/8" or so. 

Zee, I suppose the easiest way for Demonick to replace cables in the future would be to just ubolt the cable clamp and to the repair.  Then reinstall the clamp as he already has done. 

Are you pulling the rip cord down through the clam cleat? If it's set there it won't pop back and the rudder won't prop up. If the cleat isn't working take it down to HCNW for a replacement.

After spending some time in my Revo, and reading Demonick's issues with the rudder not playing fair by sending him off to the left, I figured he wasn't using the cleat either. 

Cleat?  What cleat?!   

Time for Demonick to eat some crow.  When I got the boat I saw that cleat and thought "perfect place to snag and rip my dry suit".  So I removed it.  Then I read all three Twist-n-Stow documents and never caught the point that one had to cleat the down handle. 

At least I saved the cleat. 

I've had the same problem with the half-attached padeye and the guide tubes. How's that pipe clamp working for you Demonick?

The clamps are working fine. 

I was pulling up the rudder on my '09 Revo and the screw holding the front pulley came right through the hull. Took it back to the dealer and he put a washer behind it.
I heard Hobie fixed that little design problem in the '10 models.

After spending some time in my Revo, and reading Demonick's issues with the rudder not playing fair by sending him off to the left, I figured he wasn't using the cleat either.  Mine will do the same thing if I don't use the cleat.  My T handle needed to be pulled out about 2" past the cleat to get enough down force to hold it under hard turns.  I pulled the rudder UP/Down cable knot out a ways from the twisty part of the rudder, and retied the knot about an inch further up the lines.  MUCHO better!  I can now get solid down force by just getting the T handle just past the cleat maybe 1/8" or so. 

Zee, I suppose the easiest way for Demonick to replace cables in the future would be to just ubolt the cable clamp and to the repair.  Then reinstall the clamp as he already has done. 

When the rudder is in the up position are you adjusting your steering lever by pushing to the outside (left) then while pulling on the down handle at the same time pulling the rudder steering lever to the inside (right)? This gives additional momentum to set the rudder in place when in the water. This has worked well for me, in that the rudder does not pop out of position. holt

I just pull UP when I want it up, and DOWN when I want it down, and then cam cleat that sucker.  No need to do anything with the turn lever on my boat. 

I just pull UP when I want it up, and DOWN when I want it down, and then cam cleat that sucker.  No need to do anything with the turn lever on my boat. 

Why do you cleat it? won't it stay down? i have never cleated mine and it stays fine. If you hit something at a good rate of speed you could potentially brake something maybe? If it wont stay down, it's out of adjustment.

When the rudder is in the up position are you adjusting your steering lever by pushing to the outside (left) then while pulling on the down handle at the same time pulling the rudder steering lever to the inside (right)? This gives additional momentum to set the rudder in place when in the water. This has worked well for me, in that the rudder does not pop out of position. holt

out of adjustment...

Loosen up your Turbo Fins and you'll go faster.  Then you'll see that uncleated right turns can pull your rudder up and make the turn suck.   

Actually, I don't know if it has anthing to do with the different lengths that the Outback and the Revo are?  Who know?  

As for rudder smack, I just put in an order for 3 spare rudder pins to have on board with me, as I can see myself doing something stupid with mine.   Hopefully I'll get a good habit of uncleating the rudder in narrow, weedy, or quick depth changing areas so that the rudder can bump up and not break the pin on me.  

To lower the rudder, the DOWN “T” handle is pulled. The shock cord is stretched until the slack in thecontrol line goes taut, then the control line pulls through to the rudder drum and that lowers the rudder.

To hold the rudder down, you set the tensioned line into the hold-down cleat.

When you release the “T” handle from the cleat and let it go, the shock cord pulls the line (running tothe “T” handle) back into the hull.

http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/Twist-n-Stow_Repair_Manual.pdf

Loosen up your Turbo Fins and you'll go faster.  Then you'll see that uncleated right turns can pull your rudder up and make the turn suck.   

Actually, I don't know if it has anthing to do with the different lengths that the Outback and the Revo are?  Who know?  

As for rudder smack, I just put in an order for 3 spare rudder pins to have on board with me, as I can see myself doing something stupid with mine.   Hopefully I'll get a good habit of uncleating the rudder in narrow, weedy, or quick depth changing areas so that the rudder can bump up and not break the pin on me.  

I crank turns to the right and left at full speed all the time and my rudder doesn't pop out of the catch

I got a couple extra pins too.