Tsunami 145 Rudder Problems

I have a WS Tsunami 145 with the rudder. Lately when I start paddling the rudder pedals seem stuck. Often using a lot of foot pressure I can free them up to move the rudder, but they didn’t want to budge this afternoon. Is there any kind of lubrication needed for them? The rudder moves easily by hand, and the pedals seem to slide easily enough until they run out of slack on the cables.



Thanks

Dennis

What Does your Dealer Say?
What does your dealer say about the problem? He (or she) should be the first person to consult.



Two of my Wildys have rudders and every now and then the rudder slides on my Cape Lookout 155 will try to stick. When this happens, I clean the slide tracks and lube them with a little silicone spray. Also make sure that your cables and plastic housing inaside the hull are not in a bind or being pinched.

Rudder Sticks
The dealer suggested checking the pedal slides for burrs and lubiricating them with white litium grease.

Tsunami 145 w/ Rudder
I just got a Tsunami 145 w/ a rudder and had problems right in the beginning with it sticking. I am not sure what was making it stick, however it is working great now. I just had to un-jam it (if that makes sense).



The only major problem I had with the rudder was the pins broke immediately and I wasn’t even able to use the rudder on my first time out in the boat. That really did not make me happy. I have since ‘jerry-rigged’ it with fishing swivels until I can fix it the right way. I have to admit, it is working great now! :o)

pins?
which ‘pins’ broke immediately?



steve

Sounds familiar
I remember having the same problem with some Wilderness Systems kayaks last year while guiding on Vancouver Island. The rudder pedals would stick quite often and the pins holding the rudder cables to the rudder housing itself were prone to breakage as well. Not the best outfitting for sure…

Ok Now
As the dealer suggested, I loosened the pedals all the way and applied some white lithium grease to the rails and now the pedals seem smooth as silk. Don’t know why the dealers don’t just do this when they prep the boats.

Pins
They were the pins that hold the lines on the actual rudder (sorry, I don’t know what they are called). Once they broke, the lines could not attach to the rudder to make it go right and left. I actually don’t even know how they broke because I did attach them when I put the rudder on the boat. The only other thing I can think of is maybe I didn’t attach it correctly and the pins just fell off (although it was pretty self explanetory, so I can’t imagine that happening).



Meredith :o)

not sure
but the clevis pin attachment system we use is bombproof and they shouldn’t have broke.



the clevis pin runs thru the rudder cable swedge (the metal part attached to the end of the cable, then the pin goes thru the rudder delta (the actual 'arms of the rudder) then the little wire keeper goes thru the bottom of the pin. some people hook the swedge directly to the keeper wire and THAT is prone to failure.



could you take a pic and send it to me?



steve

Steve…
Isn’t the final rudder assembly done by the dealer?

If so maybe the pins are being installed with the keeper on top, or the swedge and the keeper on the same side of the delta, this could cause problems.

yep (nm)

Pins


Sorry, I’ve been gone so I wasn’t able to respond to your message about sending you a picture of my rudder problem. Drop me an email and I can attach a couple of photos.



Thanks,

Meredith