Silky smooth rudder control,I would like.

Today I took my new to me(used) Revo 13, at the Hali - Striper tournament, on its maiden voyage and was very impressed with its performance.  I know there is no rudder control assist but is there a way, or is there regular maintenance one can do, to minimize the effort needed to manipulate the rudder.

Thanks

Mike

Not sure what you mean, Mike.  The rudder on my 2014 didn't take two men and a boy to turn, but some resistance is necessary to keep the rudder from returning to neutral automatically - like a car's steering when trying to return to straight-forward travel.

On my Hobie, I could push the lever into any position and it would remain there until I changed it - and that's how they're designed to work.

If you believe it's too hard to adjust the rudder's position, you might want to check the Hobiecat forums to see if there's a clue, like rudder mechanism has been damaged or something back there has been tightened-down too much.

It's an easy adjustment to lengthen/shorten the rudder control lines. All of the details of the twist and stow rudder system are given here:

https://static.hobiecat.com/digital_assets/Twist-n-Stow_Repair_Manual.pdf

The page with the line "Tension the line adjustment screws and tie off any excess line" has the info you need.

Another suggestion is to check the rod that your rudder control is on. It’s a metal rod that goes into the hull and has attachments underneath. Mine got gummed up with sand once and needed a good cleaning. Also check the rudder pin. If the rudder has been hit it can bend the pin. The pin is designed to break before the rudder does, but it can bend over time as well. Pull it out and take a look. You should have a spare on the inside of your rear hatch to compare it to.

Another suggestion is to check the rod that your rudder control is on. It’s a metal rod that goes into the hull and has attachments underneath. Mine got gummed up with sand once and needed a good cleaning. Also check the rudder pin. If the rudder has been hit it can bend the pin. The pin is designed to break before the rudder does, but it can bend over time as well. Pull it out and take a look. You should have a spare on the inside of your rear hatch to compare it to.

All very good points. It's a good idea to check the rudder pin regularly, as having that break on the water would be a serious PITA.

Another thing to consider is that you want to be sure the rudder is all the way down and locked in place---if not, it will be much harder to move the rudder handle, and it will get worse the faster you go.

Also, the kayak will expand with heat. I usually fish in the ocean where the water is cool and 75 degree air temps are extreme, and the rudder moves easily. But, if I take my Adventure/Revo 16 to a lake with warmer water and 90+ degree air temps, it takes way more effort to move the rudder handle.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I really appreciate it.  Tinker what I'm looking for is some way to minimize the effort needed to move the rudder.  I don't expect it to operate with zero resistance but was wondering if there is some periodic maintenance or repair one can perform.  I'll give all of your suggestions a try and post my findings.

BTW, the twist and stow rudder is an ingenious design for removing weed hung up on the rudder.  With my previous kayak the rudder moved in a 180 degree plane( up and down) and didn't always shake off the weed.  The twist and stow "whips" the weed off to the side(I don't think I'm describing this correctly)removing the weed completely.  Pretty cool!   

Another suggestion is to check the rod that your rudder control is on. It’s a metal rod that goes into the hull and has attachments underneath. Mine got gummed up with sand once and needed a good cleaning. Also check the rudder pin. If the rudder has been hit it can bend the pin. The pin is designed to break before the rudder does, but it can bend over time as well. Pull it out and take a look. You should have a spare on the inside of your rear hatch to compare it to.

THIS.  I forgot about the pin and agree you should check that first.