Hello, i am new here and i just got a hobie 14 for what i think is a good price ($450). Ok heres my question, the cam on the rudder is locked down and in the book it says pull up on it with the main sheet and it will pop back, but it wont move, do u have any suggestions? Also the 3rd batton from the top seems to be too long, when i went sailing it would pop over so there would be a hump in the sail on the wrong side, i had to pull on the boom quickly to snap it back, any suggestions for that? or is that the way its supposed to be? thx alot
The sticking cams are a pretty regular problem with Hobies. Sometimes you have to loosen the plunger spring and then use vise-grips screwdrivers, etc. to pop em up. I carry a cam wrench, but it often strips the hole and fails to get the cam back up. I like the idea of using the main sheet. I guess the problem is getting enough leverage. If the boat hasn't been used in a while, the cams are probably dry. Use wd-40 to get em to pop back back up, then lubricate the cams and plunger with white lithium grease. You can get a spray can at most hardware stores. The batten problem is fairly common as well. You probably have a little more tension on the upper batten than the lower ones. Try to let off some of the tension of the backwards batten. If thats not enough, you may have to cut some of the batten off. Someone could have previously put in the wrong length batten.
The Hobie rudder cam is pretty easy to deal with if you keep it greased. Use a marine grease, if possible, between the cam and plunger. Anything will do as a temp lubrication: Suntan lotion, WD40, chapstick etc. Marine or bearing grease just stays there longer. If the cam is stuck down, the only tool needed is a blade screw driver. You work the blade between the cam and plunger to force the plunger down and release the cam. Don't bother with the big screw under the spring, they are always fused in place.
If the cam keeps getting stuck, even when greased, there is a miss adjustment in the upper casting plate (newer boats), the rudder is drilled wrong causing too much play in the system or it is worn out (too flexable) where it hooks the upper casting.
Battens?
With proper batten tension applied which removes the wrinkles from the sail when inserted, proper downhaul which removes horizontal wrinkles from the sail when hoisted and downhauled...
The sail should have an airfoil shape. If the wind does not pop the battens over to one side, a quick pop of the mainsheet or yank on the boom usually pops them over. Light air and too much batten tension or downhaul can make it more difficult.
thx alot, ill try the blade trick out with the cam and spray some silicon or something in there. And the battens, i fixed, it was to tite so i losend it up. Everything is good now.