Mechanical Steering
- Thread starter apagano
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Maintenance isn't very often and just entails keeping the cables greased, tensioned, and sheaves painted/greased to prevent corrosion. The cable steering on my 65' boat was who knows how old, maybe original, but was in perfect condition so I didn't need to replace them even though they were (assumed) 40 years old. Tensioning is rare. The chain running from your helm down to the sprocket can use some grease. This is minor stuff.
But if your chain and accessories are rusted then you might consider replacing them, especially if they are small diameter.
I read my PO's log book front to back and over decades, and having cruised from Wisconsin to Australia and back, I saw nothing regarding steering system problems.
Personally I think mechanical chain (or shaft) steering is the most reliable means there is, and a fraction of the friction that hydraulic has.
Do you have an autopilot? Mine was a Wood Freeman.
But if your chain and accessories are rusted then you might consider replacing them, especially if they are small diameter.
I read my PO's log book front to back and over decades, and having cruised from Wisconsin to Australia and back, I saw nothing regarding steering system problems.
Personally I think mechanical chain (or shaft) steering is the most reliable means there is, and a fraction of the friction that hydraulic has.
Do you have an autopilot? Mine was a Wood Freeman.
Last edited:
I don’t think it’s the autopilot which is the big question - any AP will work. It’s the drive mechanism.
The drive, whether it be a hydraulic ram or an electric drive, needs to be able to be disconnected when not in use.
On my electric Wood Freeman unit I had a clutch lever that I would throw. In hydraulics you just need to install a solenoid valve bypass at the cylinder.
You could look into using a sailboat type wheel steerer, but attached to your chain and sprocket inside your helm dash.
Others should have more ideas.
The drive, whether it be a hydraulic ram or an electric drive, needs to be able to be disconnected when not in use.
On my electric Wood Freeman unit I had a clutch lever that I would throw. In hydraulics you just need to install a solenoid valve bypass at the cylinder.
You could look into using a sailboat type wheel steerer, but attached to your chain and sprocket inside your helm dash.
Others should have more ideas.
Sailor of Fortune
Guru
Sitex and Comnav have auto suitable for mechanical steering. Both companies are solid and great to work with.
A surveyor questioned my stern pulley bolts. Something about them didn't look right to him but you could barely see them. So that winter under shrink wrap I replaced them.
Two galvanized carriage bolts were only $.65 each but would have taken a boat yard over a week to replace. The rudder had to be removed, then the rudder shaft, then the quadrant, then the cables and chain, then the port side water tank and deck fill, then the starboard side water tank and deck fill and finally the teak decking over the bolts.
Now the pulley was right in front of me. The bolts had wasted away til they looked like something from the Titanic. One was rusted away entirely and the other half missing one was doing all the work - barely. The mounting block was a damp sponge of Taiwanese wood.
No wonder I could never get any tension on my cables. The pillow block would just lean over until I ran out of adjustment. I have driven this boat for 20 years with it that way. The initial survey 23 years ago mentioned tightening the steering cables and I believed I needed to cut more threads on the adjusters.
Oh well.
Nomad Willy
Guru
The best steering I ever had was mechanical .. sheaves, a drum and multi-strand SS cable.
But heavy duty cable steering w bronze sheaves is expensive.
But heavy duty cable steering w bronze sheaves is expensive.
Oil the chain and sprocket semi-annually. Grease pillow blocks and sheaves as required. Check tensioner eye bolts and ensure cable is not overly slack. Wear gloves and then run a kleenex over entire length of each cable to detect snags. Make sure cable is not sawing through any bulkhead openings.
If you have twin engines you don't really need the rudders so no spare parts needed. If you have a single then a short length of cable and some clamps might get you home although for coastal cruising an anchor and a call to SeaTow will usually get you back.
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
"Two galvanized carriage bolts were only $.65 each"
The boat assembler chose galvanized to save currency ,
Bronze might have been a better replacement for the owner.
The boat assembler chose galvanized to save currency ,
Bronze might have been a better replacement for the owner.
Slowmo
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2018
- Messages
- 454
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Esprit
- Vessel Make
- 40' Tollycraft tricabin diesel
Our old boat had mechanical steering. I preferred it to the hydraulic system I have now. In 60 years we had to replace the cable once so I'd check the cables where they go around pulleys, particularly if they get wet. Also make sure things are greased every few years but overall I found it to be lower maintenance, simpler, and faster than hydraulic.
Similar threads
- Locked
