Surabaya Sailing Federation

Towards the “No Slop” Rudder

Rudder tuning tips by David Hall

It’s sad but there are many Hobie sailors who don’t even know they’re having problems with their rudder and tillers. They think the way their boat came from the factory must be optimum. Picture a situation where you’re leaving the beach. Your rudders are, of course, up. As the wind pulls you away from the shore, you can see the water deepening. With the rudders up you have to steer as best you can with the sails. Looking ahead, you lift your tiller arms one at a time knowing that they will drop to the 45 degrees down position and not fall down to dig into the shallow bottom. Now you have more ability to steer, although still not very well, but you know you can get out into the deeper water with no trouble. Once there, and still looking forward, you lift your leeward tiller and push it back to push the rudder down. When you feel it plant itself into its home in the rudder casting, you drop the tiller arm and listen to the rudder cam “click” into the locked down position. Then you do the same to the windward tiller arm listening for the click. You are now sailing!

For complete tuning tips download here