First experience with hydraulic steering

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Blind Owl

Blind Owl

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
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65
Location
Canada
My wife and I have bought a 1984 Roughwater 37. We closed the sale yesterday, and the broker took us out for what you couldn't call a sea trial, since we bought it sight unseen. I already knew that hydraulic steering doesn't have anywhere near the 'road' feel of good cable systems, let alone a tiller, but I was surprised how limp and dead it felt. I'm wondering what if anything can be done to tighten it up a little, though I know we'll never get feedback from it.

Comments/suggestions would be welcome. If that's simply how it is, we'll have to learn to live with it. The boat checked out great, by the way, and richly justified our jumping right in!

Cheers.
 
Check and see if it is low on fluid. Some hydraulic systems use air pressure that can be low. Find out what brand and model it is. Or even a photo and someone may recognize it.
 
Effort required to turn the wheel will depend on the effective steering ratio, size of the rudders, etc. There's some feel, but only in the sense that as rudder load increases the wheel gets harder to turn. There's no feedback to feel anything when you're not actively moving the wheel, so it does take a little getting used to.
 
Thanks, everyone. Someone said that the fluid level was good, but I didn't know about air pressure and no one mentioned it. Ours was a quickie tour, and my wife and a very knowledgeable friend went over this and that while I stayed with the broker and learned the rudiments of handling a boat that size.

Only gentle turns and minor adjustments for me, although when we get her back to Mayne Island we'll be twisting her tail some to find out what we and the boat are capable of. Of course we'll also get thoroughly familiar with her systems, and she may already have a rudder sensor. That's how quickly we decided to snag this boat, and after yesterday we're sure we'll never regret it.

Tons o' fun, lots to learn.
 
Have fun! I've been aboard a couple of roughwaters & they seemed like good honest boats.

Is it a single helm or twin helm? Hydraulics are a bit simpler for a single helm but they're really pretty straightforward systems either way - the steering wheel is attached to a pump that pushes fluid to a ram attached to the rudder. You want nothing but hydraulic fluid between the pump and the ram, just like the brakes of a car (no air bubbles). You can usually tell if you're good if the wheel firms up nice and solid when the rudder's against its stops (hard to port or starboard). If you get there and it's springy, you might have some air trapped in the lines, probably due to the level being too low. Bleeding is pretty easy so no worries.

The feel is quite numb - that's just the nature of the beast. It can be hard to tell where the rudder is at docking speeds without the aforementioned rudder angle sensors - recommended to make handling easier.

But you'll figure it out. Congrats! Enjoy the heck out of her!
 
The schematic is a Hynautic pressurized system. The vertical cylinder photo is the "Reservalve" of that system, usually in the bilge somewhere.
The 2 helms are the Sea Star non pressurized and the smaller insert a Hunautic helm. The Sea Star system (and Wagner same/same) is non pressurized and the schematic would be the same as for Hynautic but without the Reservalve.
hynautis steering drawing.jpg
hynautic.png
sea star helm.jpg
 
Good to know, and I thank you both.

The boat is berthed in Sidney BC, an hour's ferry ride from Mayne Island and within spitting distance of the ferry terminal. We'll spend many hours aboard her, getting thotoughly familiar with the boat and her systems, and making changes/upgrades we want or find we need. The former owner is the brother of our friend on Mayne, and he'll be available for consultation and information. An ideal situation since we're green as the Atlantic when it comes to practical experience.

The boat has upper and lower helm stations, and does have a rudder angle indicator.

And you can believe we'll be enjoying the heck out of her! (name TBD)

Best regards,

Blind Owl
 
@Keysdisease
Your picture has sea star with a bleed screw. Do you happen to know if the Hynautic has a helm bleed screw. I cannot see one. I did assist a mechanic with the bleeding of air by turning helm end to end while he bled at the ram connections.
 
SteveK said:
@Keysdisease
Your picture has sea star with a bleed screw. Do you happen to know if the Hynautic has a helm bleed screw. I cannot see one. I did assist a mechanic with the bleeding of air by turning helm end to end while he bled at the ram connections.
Click to expand...
Hynautic systems don't have a bleed screw at the helm. Normally you bleed the helm pump by manually opening the relief valves (either at the reservoir or near the steering cylinder depending on the install). Then you turn the wheel a billion times in each direction to push all of the air through so it ends up in the reservoir. There are also typically bleed screws on the ram to bleed any air out there (the system pressure will push fluid through and push the air out when you loosen those screws).
 
Thanks for the confirmation. Yes a billion turns but worth it for a tighter helm. You can feel the resistance so you know the rudder is moving.
 
SteveK said:
@Keysdisease
Your picture has sea star with a bleed screw. Do you happen to know if the Hynautic has a helm bleed screw. I cannot see one. I did assist a mechanic with the bleeding of air by turning helm end to end while he bled at the ram connections.

That's not a bleed screw, that's the fill cap. The upper helm cap is vented, the lower helm cap is not. If you have identified your system as Sea Star do not remove the cap from the lower helm, or all the oil uphill will drain out, big mess.

Before you mess with these it is very important to identify your system, and get an idea of how to maintain it. Your description of bleeding sounds like you may have a Sea Star or Wagner system. As a vented system any air will eventually work it's way out.

Once you identify find a manual online, take the guess work out and do what the manufacturer says.
 
This is all great info, and I thank you for your input. We'll be spending 3 days later this week going over yet-to-be-named's systems, and expect to hook up with her former owner, who's had her for 15 years.

As always, thanks, everyone
 
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