Hi guys
Conditions offshore this weekend were perfect. Offshore, flat and honking...so out on the wire on a port tack, getting as far back as possible to prevent the pitch pole, when, alas the starboard rudder completely broke in half.
It broke just below the rudder housing towards me. (i.e I think the lateral force on the rudder to prevent lateral movement of the boat snapped it-hence the starboard rudder end was pointing towards me on the port side )
Now, a few of the hobie guys here have found this story strange..that the rudder would break in such a manner.
Anyone got some oppinions on this. Is it possible to get too far back and put to much loading on the rudders? Or was it just the rudder's time to go?
I'll try get a picture on the site..any oppinions would be great.
Thanks
Clint

Nothing to do with how back you were. Suspect it was a failure of the rudder from either age or previous injuries. Time to buy new rudders.
Cheers
Ron

If it was a platsic rudder, they can get very brittle when in the sun for a few years.

Classic break - the plastic rudders get brittle and snap right below the housing where the bending stress is greatest.

Classic break for the ABS plastic blades. These were standard on Hobie 14s and then early 16s for awhile.

There are a lot of blades out there made by a lot of different people. Not sure what you would have had in South Africa. Even glass blades can have this issue if built incorrectly. At a few H16 Worlds over in Europe and another in Australia a number of years ago, they snapped glass blades left an right. Sometimes a problem when they try to build them lighter.