Let's all get into that old argument about trailering with your rudders on or off the boat. My storage area at home is a little cramped where I park close to a big pine tree and so, whatever the pundits say, the rudders come off.

My main trouble with taking the rudders off was that the tiller arms and the tiller crossbar were too well attached to each other. Handling the whole assembly of rudders and tiller crossarm was too awkward and I had to find a way to get it apart easily. I did not want to have to undo the tiller connector bolts each time, not with all those half-balls, bolts and springs. So I just drilled out the pop rivets which fasten the connectors into the tiller arms and replaced the rivets with a quarter inch toggle pin. After a season of racing and a five week sailing holiday in blustery conditions, they have not shown any attempt to come apart by themselves when sailing.

Drill out the rivets in the tiller arm, leave the crossbar alone. The hand belongs to Andrew, he sails a Laser but you can't tell that from the photograph.

Drill the rivet holes to take the quarter inch toggle pin.
I drilled the cast connector piece as well as the tiller arm to the slightly larger size.

The system holds together on my boat with no hint of coming adrift. The toggle only takes two seconds to remove when I dismantle the rudders.

Return to Kim Miller's Hobie Cat page.