Could someone please explain the proper method of securing the rudder down on a 2001 H260? My dealer didnt. I have been cleating it off at the top of the rudder post. I have read something on the forum about a tightening handle? Don't have one. How does the kick up design work? I don't think I am doing this correctly.
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Frank
On my 23.5.....
There is a giant wing nut about 6 inches long on the port side of the pivot bolt for the rudder I tighten it and the rudder stays down but will kick up if it hits bottom. Maybe your boat has the same thing.
There is a giant wing nut about 6 inches long on the port side of the pivot bolt for the rudder I tighten it and the rudder stays down but will kick up if it hits bottom. Maybe your boat has the same thing.
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Sean Coerse
Like yours
I have a H240 I also have a horn cleat on the aft end of the tiller where the rudder line is cleated down. No wing nut. I've hit bottom a few times, but in the Chesapeake its soft mud. No harm no foul.
I have a H240 I also have a horn cleat on the aft end of the tiller where the rudder line is cleated down. No wing nut. I've hit bottom a few times, but in the Chesapeake its soft mud. No harm no foul.
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John Revenboer
My 2001 H260 Rudder
On my 2001 H260, there is a tightening handle. It is chrome plated and located on the right side of the cheek plates where the rudder is attached. It is located between the right cheek plate and the nut on the bolt tha goes through the top of the rudder. Yes my rudder is also secured at the top of the rudder post on the cleat....but BEWARE, there is a problem with this setup that has not been addressed by Hunter. I had a problem with my ruder when I first purchased the boat . The rudder was difficult to place in the down position and once down I had to tighten it with the tightening handle as well as secure it to the cleat on top of the rudder post. Then at times the rudder would pop up to a horizontal position. The dealer came with me on a sail but could not determine the problem and the factory did not know what the problem was. So at the end of the season when I had the boat out of the water, I removed the rudder post and discovered the problem. Just above the rudder, there is a bolt that passes through the rudder post. Also inside the rudder post is a small pulley. This pulley is what allows you to pull the rudder down and then secure it in the full down position by taking up all of the slack in the line at the cleat. HOWEVER, my pulley had fallen below this bolt during the rudder assembly by the dealer, and the bolt prevented the pulley from travelling up the ruder post. I have placed a piece of PVC water pipe purchased at the local hardware store over this bolt which reduces the space in side of the bottom of the rudder post around the bolt. This prevents the pulley from ever falling below this bolt and now everything works very well.
On my 2001 H260, there is a tightening handle. It is chrome plated and located on the right side of the cheek plates where the rudder is attached. It is located between the right cheek plate and the nut on the bolt tha goes through the top of the rudder. Yes my rudder is also secured at the top of the rudder post on the cleat....but BEWARE, there is a problem with this setup that has not been addressed by Hunter. I had a problem with my ruder when I first purchased the boat . The rudder was difficult to place in the down position and once down I had to tighten it with the tightening handle as well as secure it to the cleat on top of the rudder post. Then at times the rudder would pop up to a horizontal position. The dealer came with me on a sail but could not determine the problem and the factory did not know what the problem was. So at the end of the season when I had the boat out of the water, I removed the rudder post and discovered the problem. Just above the rudder, there is a bolt that passes through the rudder post. Also inside the rudder post is a small pulley. This pulley is what allows you to pull the rudder down and then secure it in the full down position by taking up all of the slack in the line at the cleat. HOWEVER, my pulley had fallen below this bolt during the rudder assembly by the dealer, and the bolt prevented the pulley from travelling up the ruder post. I have placed a piece of PVC water pipe purchased at the local hardware store over this bolt which reduces the space in side of the bottom of the rudder post around the bolt. This prevents the pulley from ever falling below this bolt and now everything works very well.
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Tom
No Pulley, no problem...
Hi, My 1999 H260 had the same problem that John described. The pully wasn't even rigged properly to provide its intended mechanical advantage. The only thing it did was hang up on the throuh bolt. I don't have the wing nut tightening feature that some have described. I completely removed the pully, and ran the haul down line through the tube FORWARD of the the last pin before exiting the tube to prevent chafing on the edge of the tube, then tied off on the rudder as before. To force the rudder down, I stand on the swim platform and start the rudder down by giving it a little kick with the bottom of my foot while pulling up on the haul down line, then tie it off tight on the cleat at the top of the rudder post. I don't worry about grounding the rudder, but if you want a kick up feature, perhaps tying in a section of bungee to the haul down line would provide the necessary give. I think that there have been previous posts regarding that. Fair winds... Tom
Hi, My 1999 H260 had the same problem that John described. The pully wasn't even rigged properly to provide its intended mechanical advantage. The only thing it did was hang up on the throuh bolt. I don't have the wing nut tightening feature that some have described. I completely removed the pully, and ran the haul down line through the tube FORWARD of the the last pin before exiting the tube to prevent chafing on the edge of the tube, then tied off on the rudder as before. To force the rudder down, I stand on the swim platform and start the rudder down by giving it a little kick with the bottom of my foot while pulling up on the haul down line, then tie it off tight on the cleat at the top of the rudder post. I don't worry about grounding the rudder, but if you want a kick up feature, perhaps tying in a section of bungee to the haul down line would provide the necessary give. I think that there have been previous posts regarding that. Fair winds... Tom
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Eddie
Thanks
I would like to thank you for your responses. I do not have the wing nut. I guess I will either add bungee or not worry about the kick up feature. Bluegrass Wind
I would like to thank you for your responses. I do not have the wing nut. I guess I will either add bungee or not worry about the kick up feature. Bluegrass Wind
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Ray Bowles
95 H26 has the lg wing nut, line and cleat.
The rudder is held in the full down position by tightening the wing nut and then securing the line on the cleat on the tiller. We only use the wingnut and hold the line with a bungee mounted to the hole at the far end of the tiller. Holds well and will kick up if needed. Can only raise the rudder 1/2 way up with line and must finish by pulling rudder up with boat hook and then tighten wingnut. Can pull rudder to full down with line only. Warning: On the 26 model if the line drops out of its pulley path when in the up position it can, and will, jam the rudder 1/2 way down when lowering it with the line. Damn inconvenient if your leaving a shoreline after tying up for the night. The only remedy is to keep positive tension on the line at all times. Ray S/V Speedy
The rudder is held in the full down position by tightening the wing nut and then securing the line on the cleat on the tiller. We only use the wingnut and hold the line with a bungee mounted to the hole at the far end of the tiller. Holds well and will kick up if needed. Can only raise the rudder 1/2 way up with line and must finish by pulling rudder up with boat hook and then tighten wingnut. Can pull rudder to full down with line only. Warning: On the 26 model if the line drops out of its pulley path when in the up position it can, and will, jam the rudder 1/2 way down when lowering it with the line. Damn inconvenient if your leaving a shoreline after tying up for the night. The only remedy is to keep positive tension on the line at all times. Ray S/V Speedy
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Mike Gardiner
Big disappointment on an otherwise good design
The kickup rudder design on my Hunter 260 is, in my opinion, a very very poor design. The tightening of the "handle" will not hold the rudder down (it seems to know when the least opportune time is kick up without having struck anything). The only option is to tie it off on the cleat at the top of the rudder post (off course, when you do this this you no longer have a kickup rudder). Mentioning this to my dealer and sending e-mails to Hunter has resulted in absolutely nothing. On the positive side, so many other items are so well engineered, that I can overlook this weak point. On balance, its still a great boat.
The kickup rudder design on my Hunter 260 is, in my opinion, a very very poor design. The tightening of the "handle" will not hold the rudder down (it seems to know when the least opportune time is kick up without having struck anything). The only option is to tie it off on the cleat at the top of the rudder post (off course, when you do this this you no longer have a kickup rudder). Mentioning this to my dealer and sending e-mails to Hunter has resulted in absolutely nothing. On the positive side, so many other items are so well engineered, that I can overlook this weak point. On balance, its still a great boat.
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Frank / MD / H260
260 rudder problems
I agree with you 100% Mike. I want the kick up rudder protection. Seemed like a great idea to me. I too have complained to Hunter and now I'm thinking of ways to make minor changes so the compression handle will hold the rudder down.
I agree with you 100% Mike. I want the kick up rudder protection. Seemed like a great idea to me. I too have complained to Hunter and now I'm thinking of ways to make minor changes so the compression handle will hold the rudder down.
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