What I like most about your tips is that you are willing to show the ones that might not work so well.. But we still learn. I appreciate your insights.
I am grateful for all of your tips and tricks Joe - I just replaced a cam, and un-inverted another, just by referencing your great videos :-) Thanks again! Mike
thank you thank you! on Saturday we set off to race on my tiger. for the first time ever the port cam inverted! this used to happen on my 16 and 18 but never on my tiger. in 30 years i have never been able to fix this issue on the water. we were late and would miss the first of 3 races completely if we returned to shore. the wind was light so we sailed the first race with the rudder unlocked but then i remembered your main sheet method 2 and it worked!!!
you're a life saver, man! bought a used hobie 16 and the cams were inverted when i got it. couldn't for the life of me figure out why my tillers wouldn't go down, or how the cams were even *supposed* to work!
Buenas tardes Joy. Estoy aprendiendo muchísimo con tus tutoriales por la cuál cosa te doy las gracias, las felicitaciones por tus videos y sólo decirte que si algún día vienes por Barcelona (España), estás invitado a unas cervezas. Un saludo campeón ¡¡¡
😂😂😂. I’ve got a ‘81 H14…..non adjustable cam stops……total dog shit design. Hobie pretty much left us all hanging out in the wind when it came to rudder design/setup/durability. By far my biggest thorn when it comes to this boat. Great tips! Glad I’m not the only one dealing with the “accidental cam inversion”.
Yeah, for sure. I think the only way forward is to accept that it's going to be a pain and requires a certain touch. Otherwise it'll be a lifetime of frustration.
I missed that one! Very good video once again. I have always struggled the few times it happened. What I did not know is that it can happen when manually lifting the rudder with the bar. Interesting 🤔
Now do method two in the chop going in and out of irons... I live in an area with a zillion crab pots so I tend to keep the cams loose (easier to shed a pot and fix inverted cams w mainsheet method 1), but then I forget and go out in high wind and invert the cams a bunch. Very maddening. Tip two looks promising. Time to tighten my cams and give her the beans
Ah yes, the inverted cam, bane of every Hobie 14/16 sailor. It always mystified me why they never upsized the rudder system from the Hobie 3.5 (yes, there was a Hobie 3.5, little brother of the 14, look it up). That system had no cams and I never had any problems with it kicking up when it was supposed to, and staying down when it wasn't. These are great hacks for the problem, though, thanks!
Hello Joyrider, I really like all your videos. Thanks a lot to share with the community all your knowledge and energy. I recently bought a HC16 and I would like to buy a video camera to put in the front of the boat. Please, can you advice my about the type of camera that I can use, how fixed in the front in order to use as well the spinaker. One feature that I looking for is to be able to measure the speed of the boat. Thanks a lots. Eduardo
Hi Eduardo, I would chose a GoPro 8 or newer - these have very good stabilisation. Then check this video for mounting: ruclips.net/video/-vg2PfHOmRw/видео.html
Wish I'd found this years ago. I've been using the screw driver method for years, but the cam and spring are so beat up they pop out. I think next time I go to the lake I'm going to replace the whole Cam and spring mechanism on my ancient Hobie 16.
Yes my getaway has trouble with the cams....and springs....and plungers...and cam plate on the stb side seems to be adjusted wrong. This is a very painful system, I liked my old nacra rope lock better.
Way late to the party, but a soft shackle the correct length would seem to be the best on boat tool. Slide it down to the nose and lift. Slide it under a piece of bike innertube or similar on the arm to store it in place. Always there ready to go, weighs and cost practically nothing.
Please allow me to offer my solution to the Hobie rudder cam inversion problem. The reason that a cam will invert is because the cam plate is not adjusted far enough forward to be fully engaged in the notch in the cam. It is that simple! If your cam plate is only partially engaged into the notch it will sometime slip over the tip of the cam which leaves the cam down in the engaged position with the tiller arm up. This can be very frustrating. To adjust the cam plate you simple loosen the bolt that holds the cam plate in position. This bolt head is located on top of the tiller arm. Then with the rudder arm in the down and locked position you push froward on the cam plate bolt head until it will not go further forward. Then you tighten the bold head in the new forward position. As several other commenters have said the cams and cam plates need to be lubricated periodically. I do the cams on my Hobie 20 about ever 6 month or whenever I think about it. There are any number of good marine lubricants that you can use. I have used everything from lithium grease to axel grease. The last couple of years I have been using Lanocote which is an excellent marine grease. It stays put. You will need a 1/2 inch socket to make this adjustment. I have found that on some boats the socket will not fit over the bolt head because not enough room was left to allow the socket to slip over the head of the bolt. The socket will get hung up on the side of the slot that the bolt head rests in. This will happen if you have a socket set where the wall of the socket is too thick. If this happens I have just used a Dremel tool and grind away some of the aluminum on the walls of the slot where the bolt head sits until the socket will fit over the bolt head. If you make this adjustment your should never have another inverted cam. The Hobie rudder system is an amazingly ingenious design. But it does need to be properly adjusted and lubricated or it will give you grief. If you make this adjustment and you are still having the cam invert, it is probably time for some new cams. They do fatigue and wear out after many years of use. Replacing the cam is a whole other adventure. I hope this works for you. You should never have to use a rope, screw driver or any other device to get your cam to pop open. They should open and close perfectly for you ever time going forward. I have owned three Hobies over the past 48 years. I have own a H-16, a H-18 and I currently sail my H-20 which I have had for 28 years. I live in Miami Florida, USA and have been running at least one race each month for the past 30 years. If you are in the area stop by and sail with us. Thank you Joe Bennett for all the amazing videos you have produced. I send sailors to you channel all the time. Keep up the great work.
Thanks very much for your advice. Maybe in that case it is just the european Hobie that have this problem - on the 16 style stocks - the cam plate has to be adjusted as far forward as possible otherwise the blade is raked too far back and presents heavy steering. With the other style (like the 18) if you push the cam plate too far forward, the cam is then not able to rotate fully which leads to the rudder kicking up prematurely. This is just my experience anyway.
Great video. But I've pretty much given up on the system as almost every time I pull up the rudders, the cams stay inverted. Now I just leave them inverted and slam the tiller bar down to lock them. Sigh.
I had a problem last season because the cam supplied did not have the right profile, i.e. nose higher and shorter in depth; are H14 and 16 different?Anyway I found a site which gave a load figure and with a digital baggage weighing gizmo it was easy to set them at 12kg release load at the rudder base.This season in strong winds they stay down and beach perfectly.Thanks Joe.
What causes the top finger of the cam to snap off? It just happened to me after I installed new screws and cams on my H14. Could the spring be too tight, or could I have snapped it by pushing the tiller arm down on it whilst the cam was inverted? Also, do you recommend replacing the springs when servicing the rudders?
Probable either as you say - when inverted forcing the tiller arm down or by having the cam screw done up way too tight. Or, could be an old cam that has become brittle.
Man as long as I keep my plunger and cam face greased up I dont have any problems. It's all the people that never service theirs that end up snapping cams or bending plungers up here.
Joy I have issue with the main sheet traveller. It doesn't slide properly on the track pulling the main sheet it won't slide up .it's the traveller with two plastic pieces together. Any advice?
Yes, those don't slide as freely - if you try to move the traveller when the sheet has load it absolutely won't move - that's for sure. If it's sticking without load in the sheet, maybe worth having a look at your track and seeing if there're any rough bits that you can smooth using a file.
The mainsheet / Chinese stopper method is brilliant!!
Works so well!
This video saved me a lot of swearing and frustration! Mainsheet method #2 for the win. Thanks Joe!
Yes, it's such a great technique
i love this channel. arguably no other place covers a specific boat type like this one🎉
Thanks!!!
What I like most about your tips is that you are willing to show the ones that might not work so well.. But we still learn. I appreciate your insights.
Thanks
I am grateful for all of your tips and tricks Joe - I just replaced a cam, and un-inverted another, just by referencing your great videos :-)
Thanks again!
Mike
Glad to help!
thank you thank you! on Saturday we set off to race on my tiger. for the first time ever the port cam inverted! this used to happen on my 16 and 18 but never on my tiger. in 30 years i have never been able to fix this issue on the water. we were late and would miss the first of 3 races completely if we returned to shore. the wind was light so we sailed the first race with the rudder unlocked but then i remembered your main sheet method 2 and it worked!!!
Great stuff! This technique is such a game changer - very glad that it worked for you!
Nice trick with the tiller arm, if I didn't have a gigantic screwdriver on me I'll definitely try that
Glad to help
you're a life saver, man! bought a used hobie 16 and the cams were inverted when i got it. couldn't for the life of me figure out why my tillers wouldn't go down, or how the cams were even *supposed* to work!
Glad to help. Hopefully it'll be a lot more fun now!
Wow that has been a problem with every Hobie I have owned. I keep flat head screwdriver with me but now several new methods to try. Thanks Joe.
Glad it helped
Fell overboard trying to pull it up so many times it’s hilarious. Now I know how to go about it next summer! 😀👍🙏
Cheers, JP
Yeah, this method is a real game changer.
Prindle 18 had the right idea -very simple effective design bulletproof
I'd be interested to see the Prindle system.
Buenas tardes Joy. Estoy aprendiendo muchísimo con tus tutoriales por la cuál cosa te doy las gracias, las felicitaciones por tus videos y sólo decirte que si algún día vienes por Barcelona (España), estás invitado a unas cervezas. Un saludo campeón ¡¡¡
Yes! I will let you know when i'm heading to Spain, and yes I'll certainly appreciate a beer!!
Joseph, thanks a lot for the video! I found Mainsheet Method 2 very useful! I going to try it next time when my rudder's cam will stuck.
I just found that technique myself - quite a game changer
Thank you! Just used the rope around the tiller method and it worked great.
such a game changer
Awesome tips Joe! 👍
Thanks! 👍
That helped a lot! 🙌🏻 Thank you so much and keep on joyridin' 💪🏻
Thank you! Will do!
Thanks Joseph: the crossed sheet trick works every time; I note that the sheet has to be 8mm at least; 6 mm slips off during the pull up.
Aha, good to know.
😂😂😂. I’ve got a ‘81 H14…..non adjustable cam stops……total dog shit design. Hobie pretty much left us all hanging out in the wind when it came to rudder design/setup/durability. By far my biggest thorn when it comes to this boat. Great tips! Glad I’m not the only one dealing with the “accidental cam inversion”.
Yeah, for sure.
I think the only way forward is to accept that it's going to be a pain and requires a certain touch. Otherwise it'll be a lifetime of frustration.
Merci ! (for demystifying the damn rudder system cam :-)
You're welcome!
cheers. saving my sanity and boat again
Thanks very much! Glad to help
Super useful set of tips, expecially the ones related to the tiller arms. Thank you, Joe! 🥇🔝
Glad it was helpful!
These videos are fantastic!
Thanks!
I missed that one! Very good video once again. I have always struggled the few times it happened. What I did not know is that it can happen when manually lifting the rudder with the bar. Interesting 🤔
This technique can really save the day!
So interesting to see how the mechanism actually works
I find it really quite satisfying
Now do method two in the chop going in and out of irons... I live in an area with a zillion crab pots so I tend to keep the cams loose (easier to shed a pot and fix inverted cams w mainsheet method 1), but then I forget and go out in high wind and invert the cams a bunch. Very maddening. Tip two looks promising. Time to tighten my cams and give her the beans
Ok, i'll take that as a challenge.
Very good, thanks!
It works!
Ah yes, the inverted cam, bane of every Hobie 14/16 sailor. It always mystified me why they never upsized the rudder system from the Hobie 3.5 (yes, there was a Hobie 3.5, little brother of the 14, look it up). That system had no cams and I never had any problems with it kicking up when it was supposed to, and staying down when it wasn't. These are great hacks for the problem, though, thanks!
Yes, the same problems are still happening!!
Excellent tips! Thanks a lot
Glad it was helpful!
Hello Joyrider, I really like all your videos. Thanks a lot to share with the community all your knowledge and energy. I recently bought a HC16 and I would like to buy a video camera to put in the front of the boat. Please, can you advice my about the type of camera that I can use, how fixed in the front in order to use as well the spinaker. One feature that I looking for is to be able to measure the speed of the boat.
Thanks a lots.
Eduardo
Hi Eduardo,
I would chose a GoPro 8 or newer - these have very good stabilisation.
Then check this video for mounting:
ruclips.net/video/-vg2PfHOmRw/видео.html
Thanks a lot for the advice@@JoyriderTV. Your videos are awesomes
Wish I'd found this years ago. I've been using the screw driver method for years, but the cam and spring are so beat up they pop out. I think next time I go to the lake I'm going to replace the whole Cam and spring mechanism on my ancient Hobie 16.
Well worth replacing if it's more then 10 years old for sure!
I only discovered this method a few years ago, what a game changer!
Yes my getaway has trouble with the cams....and springs....and plungers...and cam plate on the stb side seems to be adjusted wrong. This is a very painful system, I liked my old nacra rope lock better.
A+ video, as usual :-)
Thanks!
Way late to the party, but a soft shackle the correct length would seem to be the best on boat tool. Slide it down to the nose and lift. Slide it under a piece of bike innertube or similar on the arm to store it in place. Always there ready to go, weighs and cost practically nothing.
That is a great tip, I'll try that for sure.
Please allow me to offer my solution to the Hobie rudder cam inversion problem. The reason that a cam will invert is because the cam plate is not adjusted far enough forward to be fully engaged in the notch in the cam. It is that simple! If your cam plate is only partially engaged into the notch it will sometime slip over the tip of the cam which leaves the cam down in the engaged position with the tiller arm up. This can be very frustrating. To adjust the cam plate you simple loosen the bolt that holds the cam plate in position. This bolt head is located on top of the tiller arm. Then with the rudder arm in the down and locked position you push froward on the cam plate bolt head until it will not go further forward. Then you tighten the bold head in the new forward position. As several other commenters have said the cams and cam plates need to be lubricated periodically. I do the cams on my Hobie 20 about ever 6 month or whenever I think about it. There are any number of good marine lubricants that you can use. I have used everything from lithium grease to axel grease. The last couple of years I have been using Lanocote which is an excellent marine grease. It stays put. You will need a 1/2 inch socket to make this adjustment. I have found that on some boats the socket will not fit over the bolt head because not enough room was left to allow the socket to slip over the head of the bolt. The socket will get hung up on the side of the slot that the bolt head rests in. This will happen if you have a socket set where the wall of the socket is too thick. If this happens I have just used a Dremel tool and grind away some of the aluminum on the walls of the slot where the bolt head sits until the socket will fit over the bolt head. If you make this adjustment your should never have another inverted cam. The Hobie rudder system is an amazingly ingenious design. But it does need to be properly adjusted and lubricated or it will give you grief. If you make this adjustment and you are still having the cam invert, it is probably time for some new cams. They do fatigue and wear out after many years of use. Replacing the cam is a whole other adventure. I hope this works for you. You should never have to use a rope, screw driver or any other device to get your cam to pop open. They should open and close perfectly for you ever time going forward. I have owned three Hobies over the past 48 years. I have own a H-16, a H-18 and I currently sail my H-20 which I have had for 28 years. I live in Miami Florida, USA and have been running at least one race each month for the past 30 years. If you are in the area stop by and sail with us. Thank you Joe Bennett for all the amazing videos you have produced. I send sailors to you channel all the time. Keep up the great work.
Thanks very much for your advice.
Maybe in that case it is just the european Hobie that have this problem - on the 16 style stocks - the cam plate has to be adjusted as far forward as possible otherwise the blade is raked too far back and presents heavy steering.
With the other style (like the 18) if you push the cam plate too far forward, the cam is then not able to rotate fully which leads to the rudder kicking up prematurely.
This is just my experience anyway.
Great video. But I've pretty much given up on the system as almost every time I pull up the rudders, the cams stay inverted. Now I just leave them inverted and slam the tiller bar down to lock them. Sigh.
A lot of people cut the noses off the cams to allow this - seems to work pretty well as an alternative.
@@JoyriderTV that's a great idea. I'll file them back a bit and try that.
prima tips !!
Thanks
SUPER!!!! SUPER!!!!
Super!
Thanks. Nice tip with the main sheet! 86262 H16
Glad it was helpful!
I had a problem last season because the cam supplied did not have the right profile, i.e. nose higher and shorter in depth; are H14 and 16 different?Anyway I found a site which gave a load figure and with a digital baggage weighing gizmo it was easy to set them at 12kg release load at the rudder base.This season in strong winds they stay down and beach perfectly.Thanks Joe.
I'm glad that you're sorted now. Cheers
Unfortunately, I’ve had it it the past sailing off the beach but n high wind, so the main sheet and old man strength works
Yes, it happens to everyone! Old man strength is often underrated!
What causes the top finger of the cam to snap off? It just happened to me after I installed new screws and cams on my H14. Could the spring be too tight, or could I have snapped it by pushing the tiller arm down on it whilst the cam was inverted? Also, do you recommend replacing the springs when servicing the rudders?
Probable either as you say - when inverted forcing the tiller arm down or by having the cam screw done up way too tight.
Or, could be an old cam that has become brittle.
Man as long as I keep my plunger and cam face greased up I dont have any problems. It's all the people that never service theirs that end up snapping cams or bending plungers up here.
Amen!
I’ll send you a video of my Prindle 18 system where should I send it
thanks - totaljoyrider@icloud.com - use retransfer.com if it's too big to email
Joy I have issue with the main sheet traveller. It doesn't slide properly on the track pulling the main sheet it won't slide up .it's the traveller with two plastic pieces together. Any advice?
Yes, those don't slide as freely - if you try to move the traveller when the sheet has load it absolutely won't move - that's for sure.
If it's sticking without load in the sheet, maybe worth having a look at your track and seeing if there're any rough bits that you can smooth using a file.
You saved my day on water on a tiger
I'm glad that it worked for you.
4:25 I had a lot more luck inserting the screwdriver from the other side (front of the boat) and levering up.
I'll give that a try.
Once a month WD40, I never have any issues with them anymore
Top tip!
Please give me your exact email for “long ” video
totaljoyrider@icloud.com