Split rings on rudder pintles

I pulled my rudders for trailering the other day on my Hobie 16 and when I got to the location, found I didnt have any/lost my old cotter pins. I got in the rig bag and pulled out a couple split rings and used them. Quicker, easier, reusable, I always have split rings in the bag. Does anyone else do this? I was wondering if they would fit through the holes, but they worked just fine. Also, does anyone else call the splitrings ringdings?

Jesse M.

I don't put anything in the bottom of the rudder pins on my 16. As long as you have pins in the top, the rudders will not come off because the upper casting keeps them down. I've never had a problem.
ringding = split ring

Rings should work fine as long as you can get the rudder castings down over them.

As for only using the top pins, experiance tells me differant. after a capsize, I found that one of the pins did actualy find its way out while upside down. USE BOTH PINS

Sam

Unless/until you turtle it....then the whole rudder/tiller/crossbar/hiking stick assembly could easily end up on the bottom of the lake....expensive! I realized what the bottom holes were for the first time I went turtle. I was inexperienced at the time and had no idea what to do next. How to right it came to me slowly, but the "bottom hole" revelation jumped right out at me!

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi

Jesse:

Get some of the quick clips. They just slide in hole and click when they lock. I use them on Hobie 17 as pins go in from bottom. Just grab round end and pull when ready to remove. REAL easy.

Doug

I think the cotter pins or quick clips are superior to ring dings for the top. Ring dings tend to be made of thinner material and get mangled up and then are a PIA to remove. Ring dings for the bottom is fine. It is rare but the rudder pins can slip out of the rudder casting/gudgeon. Ring dings on the bottom provide an extra factor of safety.

I've never ran a bottom pin, but have always worried about it coming out when the boat goes turtle, rarely do my cams come unlocked, but once in a while. It's still attached at the tiller crossbar anyway. No worse than breaking a plastic rudder pin like on a 14.

I use cotter pins on the top that never come out and quick pins on the bottom. It's the easiest solution that I've come up with.