Rigging rudder on old style Solstice GTS

-- Last Updated: Sep-24-12 4:16 PM EST --

Hello everyone.

I was wondering if anyone out there might be able to help me out. My girlfriend recently purchased an old version of the Current Designs - Solstice GTS. The kind that has the large rear hatch that sticks up. We are in the process of replacing all the decking and was wondering if anyone could post up a picture of how their rudder is rigged? From the cockpit area and from the rudder end? It was already rigged, but I believe it was rigged incorrectly since it's definitely not the original rigging. It's also very difficult to operate the way it is currently set up. Pictures would be amazing if you have them around or could take them. I tried a Google image search, but no dice.

Thanks.


EDIT: Called Current Designs for support. They told me what I suspected. The previous owner rigged it incorrectly. Originally the rudder system had two lines on each side of the cockpit to actuate the rudder. I still would like to see pictures of how others have theirs rigged if possible. Just curious.

Model clarification
I believe you mean the pre-2002 model that has the rectangular black rear hatch, with the black hatch cover rising ~3/4 of an inch above the deck. Is that correct? It is a good boat.



I think the rudder rigging is the same as the post-2002 model, but then the rigging changed circa 2007 when it was updated again.

Correct
That’s the model I’m talking about, but still not sure how the rigging on any of the models are. I searched for images everywhere for various models assuming the rigging is probably similar, but still no luck. The person that replaced the line previously must have rigged it incorrectly, because it is next to impossible to lift up.



With the rudder blade up this is the current configuration of the rudder rigging. The port side has a line tied near the rear hatch (unreachable from the cockpit) that connects to the end of the rudder line. The rudder line then runs under the rudder through a channel and then through three holes in the rudder blade with the final length coming over the rotation portion of the blade and then through another channel bringing the rudder line all the way to the cockpit on the starboard side. This is how it was rigged. If you pull on the line by the cockpit it’s impossible to engage it. My girlfriend broke the line previously trying to do it. If you pull on the on the port side by the rear hatch you can engage the rudder and then use the line on the starboard side at the cockpit to lift it back up with ease. So something is obviously incorrect about how it was set up so I’m needing to figure it out. It seems it was only rigged from the cockpit to lift it up, but not engage it.

96 Soltice GTS
The line that I grab on the starboard side pulls the rudder up onto the deck. Pulling on the port side deploys it. I’m describing everything with the rudder retracted onto the deck. A line runs from the reachable cleat on the starboard side, back through a line-sized hole near the bottom of the assembly. There is a little plastic piece on the starboard side with a little hole in it that the line enters, and then exits, and the line travels up and runs through the middle hole in the rudder, from starboard to port side. It then runs up to the hole in the rudder towards the front of the kayak with the rudder up on the deck, through that hole traveling from port back to starboard side, then back through the rear hole, from starboard back to port side. It then wraps back around the pully on the port side, from coming through the rear hole on the rudder, around from top to bottom. Then you run the line through the line sized holes on the bottom of the assembly on the port side. Mine has a much thicker bungee cord tied to the line a short ways after it leads up from the rudder, which then attaches to a cleat on the port side, same position as the cleat on the starboard side. I pull the bungee on the port side to deploy the rudder. The purpose of the thick bungee is that there remains tension on it even with the rudder deployed. So if the rudder catches on something it can lift a little, but the tension will pull it back down once beyond whatever it was dragging or catching on passes.

The place I’ve had get stuck is the little holes that guide the line through. If the rudder isn’t deployed for a while, I once had salt build up and cement the rope within the little hole it runs through. As long as you regularly rinse it, and deploy the rudder regularly to make sure it’s working smoothly, I don’t think this should ever cause a problem.

I took a couple pictures, but am having a little trouble getting them into my photo album.

I already had this picture in my album, not that you can see the rudder lines, but it’s a bit more fun than the pictures of the rudder.

Rudder installation
Here are some photo’s I took when I installed a rudder on my Artisan. Principles are the same, except my rudder is kick up design. I typically paddle without the rudder installed.



http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563046144qMQlgg?start=0