I broke a rudder cable today on my 2 month old Scorpius xs. I repaired it with my stand by stainless steel airplane cable when I got home, not sure about spectra...it snapped clean, no abrasions, about 1/2 inch above the connection at the rudder end. It was also a pain to get to with the tiny opening above the hardware...it would have been really hard to do in the water had I not been able to limp it in and borrow a cell phone for a pick up. Anybody have any on the water repair ideas for the xs cable system?
Zumapop
Submitted by zumapop on Sun, 07/22/2012 - 2:06pm
Is this a China XS or a custom canoe built on Maui? CAll Outrigger ZOne (Mike Giblin) if CHina built or KAiWaa if custom built. Sounds from your description it is China bult as the steering T is hidden. On the Custom built, the Steering T is exposed and if you have a piece of line you can connect it from the T to the footpeddle as a temorary fix to get you home. Try different methods before you have a problem so you will know how it works.
#1 Sun, 07/22/2012 - 3:38pm
A centered pad eye forward with loop of bunji on it works good too. Only need the one working cable to get home.
aloha,
pog
#2 Sun, 07/22/2012 - 9:17pm
Sounds like a China built xs, I have one too and am a little sketchy on the spectra steering cable/line.
Does anyone know how often spectra should be replaced? It's hard to tell wear on spectra. Thinking about just swapping out for cable lines for wedded safety
#3 Wed, 07/25/2012 - 12:03pm
The spectra cord that was used in the Hurricanes were non-braided lines that was actually looped and had a chafing tube to protect it at the point of entry/exit at both the rudder end and pedal end. It had a positive and negative though in that it protects the spectra from wear, but it also can become the problem when the tubing breaks or gets crimped and won't slide through the cable tube properly.
The new style spectra cord on the XM/XS doesn't seem to have any chafing tube or sheath for protection and that may be the problem in the wearing down of the cord during use to a point of failure due to heat generated from possible friction. It's possible to prevent heat from friction by wetting the cord when you set in the water before actually using it. But then again, it might not be the cause.
When a friend of mine got his China XM I mentioned it to him to call and ask the Kai Wa'a Rep he bought it from about getting an extra set of spectra cables for it "just in case" so he'd have it readily available. He was told it wouldn't be necessary as it won't break so easily. His has the older style spectra with the chafing tube though and not the current braided cord style.
Below is what the openings look like at the rudder end on the China XM/XS (and the Hurricanes). The picture was taken of an XM at Island Paddler and the rudder was not yet installed.
#4 Wed, 07/25/2012 - 11:48pm
There are a 100's of China XS and XM out there with few having a cable problem but problems in any case can occur and are not fun. What several people who use their China Xm's or XS's in rough conditions have done is change to Stainless 1X19 wire as there is less chafing with that type of wire. In the process they carefully cut out the cover over the steering T with a dremel. Most OC1's that have stainless- keep an eye on the area just at the foot pedal for a broken stand of wire- time to change and easy as you just snip off the cable stop and replace. I wouldn't do this more than once as the loop in the back (and front on a Pueo) can wear down. Most of us don't carry any type of back up in case we break a cable, but we should. A simple safety item is a piece of rubber innertube you can shove between the rudder blade and hull to jam the rudder straight (practice on land first) so you can limp home if a cable snaps.
#5 Thu, 07/26/2012 - 8:38pm
An easy means of locking the rudder would be an attractive feature in emergencies, boat manufacturers.
Murphy tells us that cables always snap just out of sight of land.
#6 Fri, 08/03/2012 - 12:34pm
Yankee, several manufacturers offer models without rudders. this assures no broken cables and renders lock out devices useless.. no matter how far Mr. Murphy is from land.
to be fair, I don't think anything realy replaces the strength or durability of cable though. it's always good to change em periodically like you change the oil in your car. no matter what kind you got.
#7 Sat, 08/04/2012 - 1:58pm
By cable, you are referring to steel? Suggestions on kind? I have what is called airplane cable( stainless steel)
#8 Mon, 08/06/2012 - 5:18pm
1X19 stainless steel wire. Available at many marine stores , sailmakers.
#9 Tue, 08/07/2012 - 7:21am
I also own a China made XM, I had my spectra line break on me (3 miles out) and wedged a small piece of inner tube between rudder to limp home. I swapped the spetra with stainless line and it's working great and I have a lot more confidence in it not failing. As Paddlefast said, you will have to dremel out the top opening of the rudder section, but it's much nicer with a larger opening there anyway (for rinsing, inspection, rudder changes). I have also set up a "Return to home" feature stated by pog (see below), I have it on all my canoes and surfskis.
Recommended
A centered pad eye forward with loop of bunji on it works good too. Only need the one working cable to get home.
aloha,
pog
Mon, 07/23/2012 - 12:17am
#10 Tue, 08/07/2012 - 7:53am
till up in the air with cable replacement. Steel vs spectra. Now thinking about running a second spectra/dacron down the chases to each pedal as a back up. This back up would have a little slack in the line so it only comes into play when the main spectra line breaks. It would limit steering but it would still be steerable.
That last bungie idea is a good one too
#11 Tue, 08/07/2012 - 10:15am
I know this is an OLD thread, but I thought there might be enough older spectra cabled boats out there that are about to break their cables. I've thought about how to secure the rudder straight by taking the broken spectra out and wrapping it around the rudder pin between the hull and rudder. that should do the same things as wedging rubber in there, and should get you home. I see people mention cutting open the tiller area of their Ozone canoe. Is this for inspection purposes? I changed mine out to steel, but left the tiller covered. it's simple to change out. Just connect the cables to the tiller outside the hole, feed it into the canoe, then attach the cable to the pedals.
#12 Mon, 01/27/2014 - 9:48pm
I have changed a bunch of Ozone XMS/XSs to stainless steel without doing the dremel exercise on the tiller enclosure area. I learned the trick is feeding the wire from the front to the back. Kai Waa has cable kits with instructions and all the parts - all you need are good wire cutters and a crimping tool. As far as a temporary repair, shoving a piece of rubber or tying off the rudder with an old piece of bike innertube works well. Check you cables carefully before you go out, no matter what kind of cables or canoe you have. We've seen them all fail sooner or later if not maintained.
#13 Fri, 01/31/2014 - 1:18pm
Any suggestions on how to inspect the cables? The reason I ask is I just picked up an OC Viper( about 15yrs old) cheap and took it out to see if it was sea worthy. The cables looked a little rusty by the peddles and a strand or two were sticking out by the pedals so I figured they were at the end of their lifespan, but not a dangerous situation. I had planned just to paddle around 500ft offshore so in case anything happed I'd be close. Well, it did happen, I made it a few hundred feet and a cable let loose. no biggie, the rudder wasn't as freewheeling as I'd like so i was able to push the tiller straight with my paddle and paddle back to shore. What happened was the ferrule was corroded and let go at the tiller. When i looked at it it didn't look bad because it is covered with heatshrink. Is there any clues to the condition of the parts that are covered?
For what it is worth, I did change out the cables, pulled the rudder and straightened the shaft and it works like a charm now . If you are on Oahu, P.O.P fishing supply sells a 30ft piece of 1/16 SS cable for $17. They said they sell the ferrules individually, but they are packaged in a 100 piece package for $8. A 3ft piece of 1/4 heatshrink is about $2.50 at precision electronics ( King st near Piikoi, next to Jack in the Box), and the black tubing can be purchsed at Diamond Head Sprinkler ( don't know how much, even after 15yrs mine was still ok. It's a cheap and easy repair if you even have doubts of the condition of your cables
Oh, one more thought. Most knots cut down a rope's capacity by as much as 50%. For Spectra cables knots can become weak spots. On my XM, my plan was to just change them annually, but they way my tiller was connected caused it to rub the tiller and cut through after 6 months.
#14 Sat, 02/01/2014 - 2:14pm
One thing you could do if you repair/replace your own cables is to use clear heatshrink tubing instead of the standard black. P.O.P. Fishing does have clear 1/4 inch heatshrink in 48 inch lengths (at least they did as I bought a few from them before) around $6 or so and are "Marine Grade". Not saying the electronics ones won't work, but they are thinner and most don't have the adhesive lining which provide better sealing to keep saltwater out.
Most of the manufacturers use Marine Grade 3/8 inch heatshrink tubing though to fit over both the "chafing" tube ends and the crimp sleeve/ferules. The 1/4 inch would fit over the crimp sleeve/ferules only leaving the "chafing" tube open for water to get in and maybe settle.
As a general rule, if you buy a used craft and don't know when the cables were last changed, it is best to just go ahead and replace them. At least that is one less mishap that won't happen on the water.
In terms of replacing your cables, you should try to get in contact with the manufacturer and see about getting them replaced at their shop in one shot without having to go all over to get individual stuff. If anything you can have them inspect your craft to see if there is anything else that could be wrong that you don't know. (i,e, replace the bungee cord, check pedal mounting screws/rivets, tighten rudder nut, replace plastic washers, replace iako push pins/thumb screws, replace drain plugs).
If you can't or if the manufacturer is on another island, then at least try to get their cable replacement kit. They will have everything you'll need for your craft. Most if I'm not mistaken are around $40 for the kit (minus a good pair of sleeve crimpers and wire cutters which you would need to have). It would also be a good idea to buy a kit and have it on hand before your cable goes so you don't lose any water time waiting to get it shipped.
#15 Sat, 02/01/2014 - 6:09pm