Klepper Kamerad TS rebuild

[Guest]

Back to the never ending Comrade

I was not happy with the ease of glide on the rudder pedals on the test sail. I much prefer this type rudder tracks and rails.



I still call those Yakimas, the original manufacturer. They may have been Werners is a later incantation. Now they are Mohawks. They have always proven far superior to the plastic on plastic version rail and track.

I like having a spare set of those pedals in the shop and had used the shop stock pair on DougD’s Cadillac, so I ordered two sets from Mohawk, one for the Comrade and one for shop stock.

A little deductive reasoning revealed the cause of the too stiff rudder pedals. The rudder itself pivots at the slightest touch. The cables slide in the tubing with little resistance. The right foot pedal sides easily in the track. The left one was stiff as heck and wanted to bind in the middle of the track.

I slid the aluminum rail completely out of the track and could see no imperfections of scrapes. I lubed both rails and it helped a little, but lefty was still not loosey.

So I inspected to the 2[SUP]nd,[/SUP] un-installed set of foot controls. On one of those the rail slides easily in the track, and on the other it binds, right in the center where it needs to be most glidey for minor rudder conrol.

Hmmm, more deductive reasoning. I swapped the unused rails into the other unused tracks. It is the plastic track that is causing the binding, not the aluminum rail. That was an easy enough un-bolt and reinstall on the Comrade, replacing the stiff left side track with the more slidey one. Much better.

Of course I now have an unused set of pedals with very stiff sliding tracks. Guess I’ll be giving Mohawk a call.

 

[Guest]

Mohawk Customer Service

I have always found Mohawk good with customer service and this was no different. They shipped replacement tracks yesterday.

While I was on the phone with them they went to their stock of tracks and rails and did a few test slides with no binding issues.

They didn’t ask, but I will return the set of stiff tracks for their inspection.

 

[Guest]

Mohawk Customer Service
They shipped replacement tracks yesterday.

Or not. Two weeks later, no replacement tracks. I know that the UPSP has had some on time deliver issues (to the point that they have redefined “on time”), but 17 days from Tennessee to Maryland seems a tad slow.

I called again and Mohawk said they had shipped them when requested, but would send another set express. If I end up with two sets I’ll keep the best pair and return both the original binding ones and the extra pair. Or not, at $15 a pair if I get two replacement sets that all slide equally unbindingly I may buy the extra set and keep them as shop stock.

I really hope the binding issue was an anomaly. I prefer the usual sliding ease of those pedals over all others I have used.

 

[Guest]

I received the replacement plastic tracks for the Mohawk foot pedals and did some further experimenting, switching rails and tracks and sliding them back and forth.

Counting the set installed in the latest boat, the spare set and the replacement tracks I had four aluminum rails and six tracks to swap in and out. That was confusing enough that I had to lay out all of the parts and keep track of sliding each track in each rail, noting the differences in glide.

I thoroughly cleaned all of the tracks and rails of any potential manufacturing residue or debris and tested the glide smoothness of the rails in the tracks. The slight binding issues I had found are unquestionably in the plastic tracks, not the aluminum rails.

One of the replacement tracks is slick as snot on a doorknob. One shows just a little binding resistance and the original two bind noticeably in the center of the track.

After trying them slid back and forth in the cleaned tracks I lubricated all of them using Dupont Teflon Non-stick Dry-film lubricant. The ones that had demonstrated the most binding are better, but still catch a bit in the center.

One of the pedals I installed on the Comrade is a bit stiff and I’m going to leave it in place to see if it eventually “wears in” like a new pair of shoes.

 

[latremorej]

Think you will have enough time this season for that comparison paddle?

Jason

 

[Guest]

Think you will have enough time this season for that comparison paddle?

“This season” goes on and on. I am a big fan of paddling barrier islands in winter, when there are few people and no bugs.

I have hopes of gathering a cohort of paddling friends for a multi-day paddle/sail in camper, swapping boats for a “review” of all of the converted 70’s decked trippers.

We did one of those 10 years ago with the then currently manufactured decked canoes; Bell Rob Roy, Sawyer Loon, Kruger Sea Wind and Clipper Sea-1. That was the start of my fascination with such boats, and at the time I had not yet started sailing, and didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Planning a mid-winter trip on the Maryland coast poses a weather dilemma. If it’s just me I can look at the weather forecast and be there in 24 hours when favorable wind and temperature conditions arise.

Picking a date weeks or months away is a huge crapshoot. Just getting the tides right is critical, with a morning high and rising tide for an early paddle in, and an afternoon high tide for paddling out. New moon or full moon if possible; some of the shallow wind protected sneak routes need as much water as possible.

Add the other peculiar challenges. If it is cold enough for long enough Chincoteague Bay will occasionally freeze over. If it is blowing westerly the bay presents a long fetch of broadside waves. Because the bay is shallow those waves tend to be steeply faced and closely spaced. And if it blows hard enough the NPS will stop issuing permits.

It is almost always windy there, which at times makes for fantastic sailing trips. If I can spur of the moment catch a forecast that allows me to sail in, camp and day paddle for a few days/week, and sail back out I’m there in a heartbeat.

Probably sometime in February or March of ’16, and keep my fingers crossed that it isn’t freezing and blowing 20 knots from the NW.

 

[latremorej]

Fingers crossed!

 

[makevx73]

Awesome work!

What next, this??

 

[Guest]

What next, this??

Ah, the Bavaira Boot Amazonas II. Or Missouri II, same boat different outfitting.

Bavaira Boot has been making that hull for decades. 15 foot 8 inch long by 31.5 inches wide and heavy as heck.

It has all of the 70’s standard “Tandem European-style Touring Canoe” outfitting and attributes. Which is to say horribly uncomfortable seats, rudimentary rudder, weird floor platform and mast step/deck hole. And not enough room to accommodate two paddlers and tripping gear.

For $200 bucks it might be worth gutting and soloizing as a decked solo tripper. Think $100 in parts and a hundred hours in labor.

But $1000? People on Craigslist be tripping.

 

[makevx73]

For anybody wanting to follow in Mike's sailing style? A Klepper Kamerad available in NY

 

[madmike]

That's $700 too much

 

[Bill Johnson]

This is to Mike McCrea - I have repeatedly tried to send you a private message on here but that function of the site doesn't seem to be working. I wish to correspond with you about an Old Town Sockeye and get your advice. I have one in basically new condition (it is a 1976). Would you mind responding to me at johnsonwi@husson.edu? I am in the State of Maine. - Thank you - Bill