Hobie: A Work in Progress?

Unlike the bizarre but loveable USS Socrates, you'd think the penquin-powered Hobie and its fabled Mirage Drive, having been around for quite some years, must surely be finished, robust and reliable products, yes?

Nope.

Add to that the incessant chanting and childish putdowns of the Hobieholics (including even the Hobie rep!) and I was finally caused to really examine Hobie's intriguing designs - a subject heretofore of little interest to me. And let it be said again that I have always been a fan of Hobie, admire their out-of-the-box thinking and creative designs like the Mirage Drive and their Twist n' Stow Rudder. Neat stuff. But over the years I gradually became aware that Hobie seems to have an unseemly number of breakdowns, upgrades, retrofits and problems. Indeed a recent search on KFS on the Hobie rep's name came back with over 500 returns, most concerning problems!

To their credit Hobie's rep at KFS seems attentive and responsive to most of these concerns. But not all. And the fact that a big commercial site like KFS needs a near full-time manufacturer's rep around anyway was suspect. But surprising no longer.

These pages are intended to serve as a searchable (use "find") resource of current problems, advice and solutions for both owners and for those considering buying a Hobie. You will not have to read far to realize that the Hobie and its Mirage Drive remain works in progress. For those who revere its uniqueness no price - either in money, time or frustration - will be too much to pay for the "privilege" of owning one. For others who value reliability at lower cost and more traditional designs this data may suggest other choices. "HR" as used below refers to the Hobie "Tech Rep" installed at KFS.

Last, these pages will be updated frequently - check back!

Revolution: Hull Defect Posted June 19, 2007 11:57 PM I bought a Revo 2 weeks ago and i love this toy, but there are a few problems I got with it. When I first put it on my car top i noticed a cave in the hull right beneath the seat, I first thought that it was the way the hull was made but the other side of the hull was not alike. Te hull is so thin that i can create a cave in the hull with a finger. the hull also pop in and out when I use the kayak in waves. The dealer that sold it to me told me it is normal (!). HR: tells poster "I can only suggest having your dealer look at this if you are not pleased with the hull for some reason.". Comment: Most posters agree this hull is defective, but neither the dealer nor HR will take responsibility.

Adventure: Rudder Leaks, Cam Knob Bolts Posted June 25, 2007 09:51 PM So a couple of weeks ago I noticed some water dripping out from the rudder in my adventure when I was taking it out of the truck. Tonight I decided to flood my kayak and look for leaks. Thankfully I didn't find anything in the scupper or mirage well area. I did however, find the "collar" for the rudder leaking like a sieve. And about the drive cam knob bolts: I got that kit with the longer cam knob bolts about a month after I got my yak, since I noticed the colums were starting to bend. Popped the (ST) drive in, and the port side cam knob just spun all the way around. HR: We have seen leaks around the rudder pin. Simple fix. Tip the boat (bow up) and open the aft hatch. Pour epoxy, hot melt glue or goop in and around the fitting. Maybe a washer on top of the knob or epoxy in the bolt hole to tighten if it is simply backing out while the knob works back and forth. The Helicoil will fix it in either case. It is possible that the tappered bolt has less threads holding than the original. Comment: One owner said it best "The fact that either I have to fix my kayak on my own, OR I have to drive 2.5 plus hours round trip to the nearest dealer, even though it's still under warranty is ridiculous!" He also felt he should not have to buy his own supplies to make a repair that was Hobie's fault. "Considering that my boat is less than a year old, I'm just tired of having to do fix after fix after fix just to keep this (censored) boat in the water, and on top of it." No further comments.

Adventure, 2007: Rudder Cables Hang Up Posted June 27, 2007 12:42 AM ...my rudder cables for directional useage keep hanging up under the yak and the Rep at the Demo in Farmville VA, siad he couldnt tell me why they kept doing it. HR: Information in the office here says that one of the control arms may be bent down just a bit too much. This allows it to rotate past the intended stop point and get hung up on a fitting inside the boat. Comments: HR was wrong - one owner discovered the fix "...it was the right hand cable wasnt tight enough to have it turn the full radius and when I tighentened it it started operating as it should."

Hobie Cart: Damages AI's Posted July 04, 2007 06:05 PM Just a little alert about the Hobie Trax Crat and the AI. While on vacation in Topsail, NC last week, the AI slid sideways in the sand, twisted the inserted steel arm, and punched a hole in the scupper slot. I didn't discover it until I was in the ocean, sailing along, and suddenly found myself underwater. The amas held me up while I peddled underwater like mad to shore, breaking rudder pin coming in on a wave and getting tangled in a line from a guy Blue fishing who helped me to shore. Hull was totally filled with water. HR: The spring clips issue should be from the first batch of carts only. The knobs can spin too far. Now there is a stopper. Just be careful and turn the knob only about 1/8 turn to release the wheel. We continue to try and design a better cart. Just not there yet. We have to rely on this Rolleez cart for now. Hey... they are better than the Golf cart wheels that the last vendor had right? Comments: Owners continue to complain about Hobie carts - from damaging the kayak to poor performance in the sand. This is not rocket science. If Hobie can't design a strong and simple cart that can roll in the sand, they shouldn't sell em.

Mirage Drive Mounts: Cam Bolt Columns Posted July 01, 2007 09:52 PM I noticed some water in the hull of my Revo on Tuesday, which is very unusual. Today, well, it was gallons and I noticed that one of the knob things that locks the Mirage unit in was a bit raised & crooked. When I got back to the launch I poured water on top of those knobs and looked inside. Ouch. Whatever it is that those bolts fit into (part of the molded hull?) is cracked. Both cam bolt columns are cracked, with one being completely severed. What the heck happened? Was it the turbo fins? My yak is no longer seaworthy. HR: "It may be undercooked plastic... looks kinda tentured on the inside and/or possibly the wrong bolt length. How long are the bolts? I had contact from your dealer this morning and a claim was approved for a replacement hull." Comments: turns out this critical problem also affected the Adventure and Outbacks. Hobie made "repair kits" available, but heaven help those who aren't aware of this, fail to "repair" their new Hobies and experience a breakdown at sea. Ouch.

Adventure, 2007: Rudder Post Leaks Posted July 12, 2007 02:33 PM I purchased my adventure in February and have noticed a couple of cup fulls of water inside the yak after returning home on numerous trips. I pulled out the pin and observed the brass tubing that encases the rudder pin was leaking. The leak was where the brass tubing came into contact with the yak. I applied marine GOOP to the leaking area. SAME ISSUE! HR: The leaks at the rudder pin fitting were discovered some time ago and all boats are inspected for this issue specifically. Hobie is not unlike all other kayak companies and struggles with leak issues from time to time. It is very possible that a small gap in the material may open up with extended use. This is a brass sleeve that would be completely coated with material to make it waterproof. There is a small gap in the coverage and the water is finding a path. Goop or epoxy will fix it. Comments: Apparently QC is lacking. Having to use Marine Goop later to fix a manufacturing and/or inspection problem at Hobie is unacceptable. But this is the solution they offer. HR basicly admits that Hobie cannot achieve complete plastic flow around the sleeve - but still delivers the kayak with a Marine Goop fix.

Twist 'n Stow Hatch Leak Posted July 16, 2007 09:41 PM My 8" Twist-and-Stow hatch leaks. So I carefully sprayed it with water to see if I could figure out where and why it was leaking. Eventually, I rigged a video cam and flashlight inside the hull and then doused the lid with water at different places to see exactly where the leak was. Turns out, it was due to the poor seal the rubber seal around hatch lid itself makes. The supplied seal is square and can move or be pushed over when the hatch is closed. I replaced it with a large O-ring and now, no more leak. HR: "I have had very few reports of Twist-n-Seal hatches leaking. There is an "O" ring on the T twist handle, so that should not leak either." Comment: Hobie isn't facing this problem, despite the fact that a number of other experienced chimed in with the same problem. One experienced user noted that the seal tends to twist (and leak) and suggested remounting the seal. Hobie had no real solution for this one short of admitting that the failing flat seal was chosen due to inconsistencies in molding the hull. Users solved this one on their own by replacing it with a 1/4" "O"-ring seal.

Mirage Drive: Plastic Sprockets Break Posted July 17, 2007 08:21 PM HR: Some items have become available this week: Stainless Steel sprockets. The reasoning for bringing "back" stainless as an available part is a user generated request primarily due to very heavy pedaling and ST Turbo fins use. They are thougher, but have their own issues...(stainless)requires proper chain tension to inhibit skipping. Masts have a looser fit and may require periodic replacement of cotter keys from wear. Heavier. Sprocket guards may shake loose / fall off and may require glue / sealant to attach in some cases. Comment: Apparently the Turbos were released without sufficient testing under load. Stronger stainless sprockets were produced but even these have issues. No real solution - owners will have to put up with either breakage, increased maintenance and/or failures. Hmmm.

Adventure Problems (rudder and Mirage drive mounts) Posted July 14, 2007 10:32 PM There was a small problem with the 06 rudder deployment....very difficult to deploy, and what Hobie engineers found was the tension on the interior control arm. The bungees that are on it need to be replaced with some of the strong string that is used for the rudder control lines. They have a repair/replacement kit with how to do instructions. When the problem occured a mass mailing of the kits were sent to new owner, but that was over a year ago. Other than that, the only other problem was a crack forming inside around the front and read Mirage Drive section. A repair/fix it kit was also sent out.In talking to a dealer this weekend, he mentioned a lot of the yaks with rudders that are hard to deploy, are because the drum is too tight on the rudder(the bolt going through the round part of the rudder). back it off 1/4-1/2 a turn and try again. also helps if you wiggle the left right lever while trying to flip the rudder down. HR: No response. Comments: there are a number of reports of rudder failures, not only when retracting, but also under pressure (at the worst possible time). Can be dangerous, you might have to get wet to go back to retract it. One user noted it was important to "turn the rudder to the right (slightly) when raising the rudder." Shame - most good touring rudders are simple and reliable devices.

Mirage Drive Adjustment Holes Posted July 19, 2007 04:47 PM I have sent an email out about the issue below, but am eager to know if this has happed to any of you and or how it was/will be handled. I encountered a problem with my mirage drive this past weekend. Upon returning, the pedal adjustment holes started to gave way on the left side of the drive. At first I repositioned the pedals, but after a few pedal pushes the left one slipped again. When I took the drive out to take a closer look I noticed the adjustment pin was slipping from hole #3 to hole #7. I returned to dock cleaned up and haven't used the drive since. HR: "We have an issue with some drums being warped and in some cases a mis-alignment of the pins or friction that prohibits the pin from fully seating. (warranty rate of less than 1 %) Seems mostly to appear when using the ST Turbos or when pedaling hard." Another poster reported "...With 5 Hobies I have 3 of the older style "thick drum" SS spocket dives and the 2 new drives that came with the 2 Islands. I only used one of the new drives once to test for about and hour - they had the standard fins. Even after so short a use I could see the adjustment hole in the drum starting to elongate and "bugger up". Not broken, but it showed more wear than the older drives used for years." Comments: considering the years the Mirage drive has been around this problem should have been solved long ago. The claimed warranty rate does not tell the story - HR admits the design itself is faulty which means ALL these drives risk failure.

Turbo Adjustment Screws Posted July 19, 2007 11:46 AM Curious to know where some of you turbo fin owners are running the adjustment screw. I've just left mine in the middle, or thereabouts. HR: no response. Comments: although this is not a breakdown, it does place a burden on the new user. Still there was no consensus on this one - opinions ranged from "tight" to "1/4 in play" and depending on whether sailing or not. Surprising that the HR had no suggestions on this one.

Revolution: ST Flappers Won't Fit Posted July 20, 2007 09:01 PM Bummer. My new ST finds do NOT fit the mirage drive of my 2005 Outback. The notches where the chain drive is supposed to clear are in the wrong place... the notches are about 1/8 inch or a little more too far forward and the fins will not go on all the way because they hit the chain and sproket before the fins seat all the way into the hubs. HR: no response Comment: Another poster said "Mine were the same way. The chain clearance slot or notch isn't molded in the correct location. I'd be careful cutting them with a razor blade. If you go too far the slice could open up further and further while in use. I used a round file to remove just enough material to clear the chain. This also left the bottom of the cleared area with a rounded shape which I don't think is nearly as likely to tear or split as a sharp, straight cut might."

Anchor Trolley Kit: No Instructions Posted July 21, 2007 03:16 PM Finally got my anchor trollies in at the local dealer. We were looking at the parts and noticed that there wasn't any instructions on where all these parts are supposed to go. I've searched around the net, hobie site, and kfs with no luck. Has anytone installed the hobie kit, and might be able to scan the instructions? HR: Turns out that we did not provide installation instructions for the trolley. I have asked Vince for some details and will make some instructions, but it is pretty simple. I can make out most of it by looking at the catalog spread. New products, loose ends. Sorry guys. Comment: This is pretty typical. Get it out to market, fix it later. Hobie now provides instructions.

Revolution, Outback (others?): hull leaks Posted July 27, 2007 12:28 AM, I have the Outback 2006. Then I open the hatch and find the problem. The whole inside of yak is filled with water !! Others had the same experience: "I'm hearing more and more stories about these hobies springing leaks these days... I found the leak in my old Outback by filling it halfway with water... my Revo started leaking badly several weeks ago... I do read a lot on this forum and others that the hobies do get leaks." One owner said it best: "It does make sense that the hull is under a lot more stress with the mirage drive, but [for matt], what steps has hobie taken to rectify this problem. Its a lot of money to drop on a yak that has a much higher probability of leaking than most other boats." HR: admits yet another design problem: "This is within a date and likely the serial range of boats which we had sent a recall notice on. It is unfortunate that we could not contact everyone... This may have been preventable if the retrofit kit had been installed. If it is in the well area (front ledge), we expect the drive likely slipped forward and pressed on the ledge in an unplanned for manner. The kit has longer cam bolts and a small stiffening piece that gets installed inside the hull. These items help to hold the drive in place." Comments: seems endless, does it not? A kit to hold the drive in place?! These are not new designs and the Mirage drive have been around long enough that they should now be robust and dependable. Hobie admits they were unable to reach all owners, hmmm. Clearly some owners are pretty upset and feel that Hobie's response is too little, too late. "Not trying to slam hobie, or hijack the thread, but it would be good to know why the cracks/leaks occur and what hobie's response is."

All: Inaccurate Hull Weights Posted July 29, 2007 01:23 PM ...does it really weight 60#? it felt much heavier when i tested it (Revo) HR: no comment Comment: many (but not all) manufacturers understate weights. KFS states the Revo weighs 69 lb. It is not clear whether the Mirage drive, etc., are included. In general the Hobies are quite heavy, well beyond the 50 or so pounds most kayakers would prefer. This is not an trivial factor to dismiss. I have owned 11 kayaks (currently 10) and I can assure you the heavier ones are far less likely to go out.

Hobie Cart: Wheels too Small Posted August 06, 2007 07:08 AM Why does Hobie use such small tires on the rolleze sand cart instead of using the normal size tires of the traditional sand cart? I purchased a Hobie cart but the tires actually dig into the sand instead of rolling over it. I have another cart that I purchased for an Ocean Kayak that I have and it is a pleasure to pull. Do you have larger tires that we can swap onto the Hobie cart? HR: Tire pressure is critical over sand. Should be low. No, we do not have other tires available. We buy the cart complete, built by them. Larger tires would rub the bottom of the hull. It is also possible to get these tires onto many hulls. Comment: Weak. It is perfectly possible to design a cart to roll well on any surface. Consider Rolleze - either full size or mini cart.

AI: Outrigger Fails Posted August 07, 2007 08:33 AM Was on the way back after a good sail Sunday average speeds 6-7 on the GPS, when the right rear outrigger button for the bungee cord on the outrigger carried away. (it appears to have just pulled out no damage to the arm) Made it back OK just eased the sail and applied the pedal power no problems. Now I just need to find out what sized pop rivet they used and get a replacement button. Anyone have any ideas for a temporary fix as I hate to not be able to sail because of a plastic bungee button which may have to come from Hobie? HR: The part is an "eyelet post". The parts diagram shows a screw along with the post, but I am pretty sure that is related to its use on the hull. The rivet would be a stainless 3/16" #8011231. Comment: The plastic "button" that pulled out is riveted to the ama arm, apparently helps stabilize the ama under sail. Failure of what should have been a strong simple part abruptly ended sailing and caused the owner to return to pedal power.

Revolution, Adventure: Cracking Problems, Issue with "Turbos" Posted August 17, 2007 09:31 AM Had major Revolution problems this morning. After a ½ mile peddle to my favorite spot, I dropped anchor and fished for about 30 minutes. I noticed that while anchored, the small waves hitting the hull were moving my body and little more than normal. When I pulled up the anchor to try another spot, I know something was seriously wrong. Luckily, I was near a sod bank so I was able to beach the kayak. I could not believe my eyes, but when I opened the front hatch, the haul was nearly half full with water. Sure enough, I have two substantial cracks in the hull, one at each location when the drive bolts attached. Another owner responds "I've noticed that the Hobie material is a lot less pliable, and has a general harder feel than say the Wilderness boats. Possibly this is somewhat to blame for the cracking issues we see on the forum". And... "It appears that the turbo fins put way too much torque on the plastic that the boats are made of. Hobie should probably stop produceing the turbo fins until they get the hull crack problem taken care of." "You would just think that with an engineering crew that can design and mass produce the Mirage drive, that they would be able to resolve this lil' problem." "My 2006 Adventure cracked within the first two hours of using the turbo fins". "...but it still cracked right? dontknow ....why are you guys sooooo happy that after a hull failure, the manufacture replaced the hull.....after payin' $2999!" HR: We get our materials from the major suppliers like everyone else, but we do stress the hulls more with the MirageDrives. Worst case is to brace on the two pedals together and push hard. We do that test on hulls from time to time and push the living ---- out of them with no ill effect. Certainly something is wrong with the material or the cooking on this one. Would I guess ST Turbos and aggressive pedaling too? We don't see many failures when using the original fins. I have not seen the hull crack there before, but have seen some cam bolt column failures. That could have been the initial cause. Is that the Moss color? The plastics have different issues due to colors and cooking times. Undercooking could make it more brittle. Comments: Look - the Mirage Drive is now an "old" product and should long ago have reached reliable maturity. All of Hobie's penguin boats use the drive, so there is little excuse for their failure to come up with a strong design. As one owner noted replacement and factory service are little compensation for design failures that could literally sink you.

Outback: Cam Bolt Pops Out in Waves Posted August 21, 2007 12:55 PM The first time out I had 2 problems. My wheel on my cart (older style) broke while putting it into water. I figured I would worry about it later. I then started to fish the salt pond. After awhile, I then went out to the ocean via a channel. I fished awhile in the coean and decided to return. I was making my way back into the channel. The waves were picking up. A boat cut be off at the mouth. 4-6 foot waves. All of a sudden, my cam bolt pops out. I grab the bolt/knob and make my way to the beach using my paddle. I don't understand why it would come loose. I do use turbo fins. I started using them after I brought it to the dealer. My outback was filled with water. The next couple of times going out the bolt seems to get lose. I am getting some water too in it. I brought it to a hobie dealer near my cottage. They told be to glue in the bolt to prevent it from coming out. Additionally, they told me there were issues with the cart. I ended up buying the big wheels. I hope I don't have a crack and I am worried the bolt will keep coming loose. It was scary when it popped out. I was pedaling and nothing was happening. There were big waves and boats coming right at me. When I switched to paddling, it took a long time to get to shore. I’m thinking the force of the wave crashing down on it or the current caused it to pop. For the bolt to come out, it must have done some damage. I am concerned if it comes out again I won't be as lucky. Another added "Yes I wonder the same thing. If you are going to offer turbo fins as a factory accessory, you better make sure that the drive and hull can handle the added stress. I think its unacceptable to offer something from the factory that tends to bring the system into the upper limits of what it can handle and can cause so many more cracks and failures." "My take on the upgrade is that Hobie should give a disclaimer on the use of the turbos." HR: Cam bolt pull out? There are a few issues possible here. The retro-fit bolts are longer and tapered. Seems the tapered area can vary and this may have reduced the thread count actually holding the bolt in for some. Then the act of removing the bolts and replacing... and possibly taking an extra turn can weaken the plastic threads. We are on top of the Drive well and drive issues with Turbo use. It is exposing some problems with some parts. This is not a consistent problem though. Still a very small percentage of users are having the problems. There are many happy Turbo users, so likely we are seeing inconsistencies in production, materials and service methods. We will work them out. We currently have changes to the drums in process. We are working on upgraded sprockets. We have addressed the Drive position stability and well forward ledge issues. We are looking at changing the whole drive hold-in system. We are on it. Comments: See above. It's getting repetitive. Basic design flaws, poor engineering, QC issues, difficult maintenance. Not acceptable. Specifically, how is the new owner to know how often and/or how tight to pull the bolts before damaging the "plastic" threads? He admits to "inconsistensies in production, materials and service methods"! IMHO if your not ready to properly design and build a good, strong drive system, then don't do it. It's not enough to fix, fix, fix em. Hobie needs to get it right.

AI: Mast Bearings Fall Out Posted September 04, 2007 04:23 PM On my Island for some reason my mast bearings (the little white ones) keep falling out. I have disassembled the 2 halves of the clam shell and found no damage and nothing unusual. Put it back together and really tightened it up but the balls still keep falling out. BTW this is on the new set of arms/frames you sent so it is only a month or so old. Real pain is once a ball falls out and into the mast cup you have to turn the boat over to get it back. HR: I am told by the factory that the dimensions are all the same for the bearing rings and the crossbar aluminum mount area, but possibly you are experiencing a deformed bearing mount area? The aluminum may be twisted a little due to the welding process or shipping? Can someone check their mount (aluminum only... no bearings) and see if it is not flat? Another owner: Well, there is definitely about 1/32" more gap in this mast bearing compared to another older one. With close inspection of the metal part of the xbar that is sandwiched in the middle I did notice a problem. Where each of the holes are drilled there was a ridge and some metal burrs. I have sanded all those down. When I took to sanding the 2 plastic halves of the bearing I also noticed high spots. Where every hole in punched it formed a very small ridge. Now all these are as thin as a piece of paper, but perhaps when added up contribute to the 1/32" difference. HR: Thanks for the great feedback! I have passed this on to the factory. (Puleease...) Comments: Some owners are using tape(!) to keep em from falling out. Others have had to find and replace these bearings with 3/8 in. SS bearings from a hardware store. This is yet another instance of unreliable design/poor quality control. The owners of Hobies are treated like unpaid prototype testers.

Mirage "Knee" - Pedaling Strain Posted September 05, 2007 03:16 AM ...got a bad case of mirage knee (quadricep tendinitis). am i the first with this painful affliction? Others confirm this: The old Mirage Knee, seen it a few times. Doing stretches before you go out is a recommended procedure not to mention walking and some fitness like AlohaDan has mentioned and a few others will help condition your legs. HR: no comment Comment: Since Hobies seem to appeal to newbies and non-paddlers this may be more of a problem than most realize. Whereas paddling uses arms, torso and legs, pedaling concentrates strain on the legs. Take note.

Outback: Misstated Weight Posted September 05, 2007 06:49 PM i hope you have better luck than i did with hobie when i told their customer service dept that my 57 pound outback weighed in at 73 pounds stipped down i was on my own. this kayak is so heavy i hate to use it HR: We list hull weights as "stripped" down. This seems to be pretty much the industry standard. No optional weight from hatches, rudders, seats etc. We currently list the Outback hull as 62 lbs. Owner replies: Hobie literature also says it is 57 pounds with out the mirage drive. my outback is 73 pounds with out the mirage drive installed that is 13 pounds heavier than hobie claims it is in their catalog. if you look inside my hull you can see there is extra build up of plastic that appears to have been been grinded down but you can still see extra plastic in the hull. Comments: Many kayaks are heavier than published, so it's a good idea to weigh it before accepting delivery. Hobie is fudging as their is no "industry standard". The only (plastic) manufacturers that I know to publish "stripped" weights (without hatch covers, accessories, etc) are those who are producing super heavy barges and are trying to hide or minimize this tremendous disadvantage. The owner is perfectly right to complain - seems he did get an extra heavy "second". If I were he, I'd go in an weigh other Outbacks to confirm his legitimate suspicion.

Adventure: Rudder Problem Posted September 06, 2007 11:00 AM Need some advice again...I was out on the water and ran into a huge probem. In an attempt to lift my rudder, the lifting handle snapped off! How could I repair this problem? Has anyone else experienced the same thing? Another owner: Hobie now uses a new handle for the up/down mech. i assume it was the old style that broke.The old one has a "D" shaped shaft and uses an allen set screw. New one uses a thu the shaft type mech - much stronger.There is a free retrofit kit available as part of an upgrade. HR: The Twist-n-Stow rudder up/down handle with through-bolt crank assembly is Kit# 81035011 And yet another owner: On the subject of rudders, the sailing rudder on my adventure has a hard time "twisting and stowing " properly. I always do it gingerly moving it back and forth as I lift. If I was to just move it up feels like line would snap, sound familiar to anyone, any recommendations? "Wiggle & Stow" is the best procedure for the large sailing rudder. A dead lift on the rudder is really taxing. A generous shot of silicone spray lube in the mechanism and lines helps it to run smoothly. HR: We include some good tips on the FAQ about adjusting the Twist-n-Stow rudders: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=6943 Comments: It seems obvious that Hobie is perfectly willing to allow owners to discover, research and solve issues on their own, rather than proactively notifying them and/or making kits available. Apparently the Twist-n-Stow - a wonderful concept - remains delicate and requires meticulous adjustment and care.

Mirage Drive: Drive Pin Slips, Wears, Breaks Posted September 11, 2007 09:18 PM The last time out my drive set on number 5 setting slipped out and skipped to 7 I re-set to 5 and it slipped again? Is something broke? Is this a warranty issue? Anyone else having this problem? I havent really investigated the cause of the problem yet but figure I would start here! Another owner concurs: I had that same problem too when changing over to flats booties that have a ridge around the heel. It was just enough that it hit the adjuster and the pin would slip out. Got 2 SS bolts and nyloc nuts and the problem has never hapened again for the last two years. HR: no comment here, but to a similar situation "We have an issue with some drums being warped and in some cases a mis-alignment of the pins or friction that prohibits the pin from fully seating. (warranty rate of less than 1 %) Seems mostly to appear when using the ST Turbos or when pedaling hard. I have had one slip trying to sprint with ST Turbos and when it slips, it is not fun, so I fully understand." "We have...changed the plastic material, up'ed the QC inspection on drums". And "We are... nearing completion of a re-design for the drums that will better hold the pedal shaft adainst the adjustment holes. This also has a stronger plastic and is thicker / ribbed to help prohibit warping plus more material "meat" around the pin holes." "In the mean time... through bolting at "your" pedal position is a solution that will even work on a damaged drum." Comment: Keep in mind the years this drive has been produced. Their own solution was inadequate, and yet another "re-design" is in the works. In the meanwhile, owner are being asked to fix it themselves and through bolt it! Or use duct tape, lol. The only reason I'm laughin is cause I don't have to deal with these problems.

Folks, I gotta stop here and catch a breath. Look, I knew things were bad, but in putting it all together I find myself on overload. It just doesn't seem possible!

And have you noticed how many problems showed up in just one month? When you consider there are over five hundred posts by Mr. Matt the Superflack it becomes clear that to truly love yer Hobie requires a willing suspension of disbelief (to quote a famous politician). Need I go on?

My fingers say no. My mind sez "ugh!" My ass is sore. But my dedication to you - the innocent masses - demands that I do... stay tuned for page 2!