I finally got my H16 "The Learning Curve" all up with both sails and 3 passengers in 15 to 20 knot winds. I really can't believe how fast this thing is with 515 pounds payload. On a mono hull boat, I used to read the wind patterns by looking at the small ripples. Now I can't see the ripples, it's all a blur!! Anyway, I was surprised how hard I had to pull to weather on the tiller extension. I have the old style rudder castings without any adjustment. Any tips besides hit the gym?

Likely the rudders are not locked down properly.

There is a FAQ on rudder cams and rudder rake on the Hobie Forums:

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=467

...or the mast is raked pretty far aft. Adjusting side stays to more it forward may help but there is a negative side effect of doing that, i.e. the leeward hull will dig in more easily and you'll have to come off sooner to prevent a flip.

The problem is definitly that the rudders don't lock down. I already replaced the rudder cams, plungers and springs. The cams still don't seem to behave well. (They don't pop into the open position.) I was thinking of installing stainless steel grease zerk fittings so I can squirt grease into the void where the plunger springs are located, and then grease would work its way up onto the cams and keep this area really well lubricated, without having to disassemble anything. Anybody else do this?

Didn't RTF Hobie forum thread. It sounds like your cam lock plunger has too much tension. With the sterns elevated and the rudders locked down, you should get the rudders to release with, say, two fingers and moderate pressure on the bottom of the rudder. The bad news is that to adjust the plunger tension you have to back out the Delrin screw in the rudder casting. If the Delrin screw has been in there for more than a couple of weeks then it is probably frozen. Oh yeah, and it's a *bitch* to get out. Also, highly recommend installing the "easy raker" kit (Hobie part # 1585) on the upper casting.

The only reliable way to get the delrin screw out is to use a reverse drill bit (don't know the name in english, but a drill bit to drill in the wrong direction). Worked both times I had to do it with no drama whatsoever. This destroys the screw however, so order some replacements first.

Check the other CAM topic...

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...1&an=0&page=0#Post114721