Has anyone installed the rudder upgrade kit for the P19 (extended gudgeons and tiller arms)? The P19MX I'm restoring has the new style longer rudders, but I believe it still has the original gudgeons and arms, and I'm wondering if the upgrade kit is something which is actually worth doing? My assumption is that the longer rudders can use extended gudgeons and longer arms due to added stress (a longer cantilever?), but I've been wrong before. Should I bite the bullet and go for the kit, or will the boat not really benefit from it?

Well, the upgrade kit arrived today, and it matches the equipment already on the boat. Boy, do I feel dumb. So, it's a moot point, and I apologize for wasting everybody's time.

Hey!

Glad I could help!
:P

Time not wasted but well spent educating the masses on whats in the upgrade kit.. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Good point - here's what comes with the kit: 4 gudgeons, two tiller arms, 4 pull-up and hold-down lines with balls and handles, 6 pop rivets. Latest pricing, owing to large price increases from Performance Catamaran: $171.00, most of which is for the tiller arms, which now cost an outrageous $50 each. Luckily, Murray's is allowing me to return the kit.

If you upgrade to the MX sails you'll have to buy some hardware for the larger jib. They don't always tell you this when you order sails but you'll need a kit that basically consists of 2 aluminum poles (jib pole kit) that support the MX jib with its foot that extends down below the bridle.

The boat came with the jib poles , as well as an MX main, but not with an MX jib, unfortunately. I spoke to Jay Glaser about a new jib, and he recommended doing a self-tacking set up instead with a used Tornado jib, similar to what other people have written about here. He felt it could be done for about the same price as a new MX jib. The whole idea is very appealing, especially if it can be accomplished with most of the existing rig, only adding the curved track, traveler, and necessary lines. I really haven't even gotten into researching this yet, as I'm still deep into bringing the rest of the boat back up to spec and trying to get it finally into the water, and whether his cost estimate is accurate or not is the big question. Based on the prices from Performance Cat for the rudder kit, I'm not sure if I could get the jib parts from them reasonably enough. Perhaps something from Harken would work, but I need to get into it more in order to figure it out.

Peter:

Found this on the Hobie site. Hope this helps a little?

http://www.hobieco.com/linked_images/self_tacking_jib.pdf

Doug Snell

Great link, Doug. Installation doesn't look that hard, getting the right parts is probably the main thing (fitting the correct radius for the sail, hardware matching the curve of the forward beam, etc.). I went to the Hobie Europe web site and also saw the parts list on there, so this is a wonderful resource. Assuming the parts are right for my P19, have you ever tried ordering anything from them?

One of the best things I ever did for my Prindle's rudders was to install the stiffening spacers: #01-2053, http://www.murrays.com/archive/32-33.pdf Takes out any slop, helps to protect the glass rudders, and eliminates noise from that slightest of vibration. Simple and cheap, but very effective!

The cheap alternative to puchasing a spacer kit that I've always used is to simply cut spacers out of plastic milk jugs. Works very well.
No need to drill a hole in the spacer. Just stick it between the rudder and casting, line up the holes in the casting and rudder, and give the bolt a whack. Drives right through and everything's snug.

sm

Now that were on the P19 rudder subject. Does anyone know any rudder replacement options that do not involve the $220 ea longer style options from Murrays?. ie a Tornado unit, retofitting a Hobie rudder?.

Peter:

I always ordered everything from Hobie through my dealer. I have never had any trouble. Glad the link helped and good luck.

Doug