Is there anyone in the Tampa Bay area that I could pay to install the Hobie 18 rudders on my G-Cat 5.7M and tune/adjust them? I've made large one-piece backing plates and bought one-piece mounts, but don't have the time to align everything, drill the holes, and bolt it up.

Any hack with a drill and a hammer could help you but here's a better idea. Take your boat up to Stu Smith at Ellie's Sailing in Clearwater...he's a master craftsman and a first class character. Have him fix it tomorrow (Friday) and then stay over for the Icecrusher Regatta at the Dunedin Causeway. It is on Saturday, January 22, with a 11:00 start.

Icecrusher NOR

Ellie's Sailing Shop 727-442-3281

Thank you very much for the reference! I'll give Stu a call tomorrow.

I go into work three times each schoolday (I work at a school)- 6-8am, 2-4pm, & 5-9pm. so I don't have a large block of free time each day. I could maybe haul the boat up one morning next week though. I'll have to spend my weekend fixing up the boat trailer and putting things in order. I was in a rush when I loaded the boat on the trailer last time to get it off the beach before Charlie hit.

My starboard transom has been repaired wich left a big lump of fiberglass inside on the bottom half, so I can't mount my backing plate any lower than that. I drilled the bolt-holes as close to the bottom end of the plate as I dared, and mostly just hope that when the rudders are mounted they will clear the stern with enough space to rake them under to get neutral helm. The last set of rudders had to have custom angled spacers made to tilt the entire housing and space it back off the transom to get the required clearance.