Really struggling with my H16 rudder system. Have new rudders, drilled them out using the old rudders as a template. I have a garage full of upper and lower castings and no combination seems to want to work. They seem like they are going to lock down but then don't. The cams are a little worn but I don't think that would do it.

What if I fill in the hole where the upper casting attaches. Push the upper casting down in the cam while the rudder is attached and then use the hole on the upper casting to mark the new hole?

I am at a loss, I have not had this problem before. I realize I may have drilled the holes in the new rudder a little off but I had it working initially, it just broke the casting combination it was working with.

Open to any and all suggestions, as well as someone selling me a ready to go system

I couldn't see much wear on my cams but was having lockdown problems too. Replacing them solved the problem. Remove the rudders and see if you can insert bolts through both an old and new rudder at the same time. If you can the alignment is good.

i know this is silly but was a huge game changer for me when i learned this: fixed my h16 rudder locking and releasing issues -
be sure to lube up the cams with a squirt silicone every time

I guess new cams, plungers and derlin screws and then see if I am still having problems. I figured with all these extra parts something would work but I guess a garage full of worn out parts isn't an more effective than 1 worn out part

Are you using rake adjustable castings, or are you using the old-style fixed rake castings?

sm

Using old style, will consider upgrading to new style if I thought it would help my problem but have several sets of old style so I would like to use what I have

Sounds like a hole mislocation issue (that’s really the only thing I think it could be since your old rudders presumably worked fine and you’ve tried the new rudders on several sets of castings).

I would start by checking your hole locations. Make a simple jig on your workbench using three small pieces of 2x4 (or similar) lumber. Place one rudder on the bench and screw or clamp one piece of 2x4 each at the top, upper forward edge, and lower forward edge. Put the “bad” rudder on the work bench and push it against the wooden stops so it contacts at all three points. Then place the “good” rudder on top and press against the stops. Sight through the rudder bolt holes to see if they’re aligned. If they’re off, you need to fill the holes with epoxy and re-drill. You can use your jig to get the new holes perfectly positioned on the rudder. Clamp the rudder heads down so they’re flat against one another and then use the upper rudder as a drill guide.

sm

Thanks for the help, finally sprung for something new and it’s what causes problems.

Also, Would getting adjustable uppers help?

jalex

Also, Would getting adjustable uppers help?

Possibly, but it could also mask the problem to some degree. Adjustable castings will let you compensate for holes being slightly out of position. But like I said, the first thing I would do would be to make a quick jig to get an understanding of how far off the holes actually are.

How did you line up and drill the holes initially?

sm



Edited by Dogboy on Aug 20, 2019 - 06:29 PM.

Put the old on top of the new, had a friend hold them and drilled. Not a drill press. Sure looked like an exact match

The hole(s) for catamaran rudder systems are really location critical for correct operation.

The last couple of times I had to redrill rudders using an old one as a template I made a wood jig where the rudders could stack together, held on all sides to make sure they were aligned. Also, since the rudders are tapered, had spacers to make sure the center line of the rudders were true horizontal. Lastly, they were drilled in a drill press, clamped tight so the bit would not move to a point of less resistance (rudder vs epoxy fill).

It's a lot of set up, but it really pays off. I think the Hobie system is the best out there when set up correctly, but can be the worst if it's not.

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Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
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