Steering system

[dwkoski]

I am about to order the steering system for my launch under construction and had planned to use a SeaStar (formerly Teleflex) system. I have had problems getting tech support from them and was wondering which system would be most appropriate. They insist that only a hydraulic system will work and I know that's not the case as all of the local boats use cable/pulley systems. I was thinking of the Safe-T rotary system but the rack and pinion system also appeared usable and very compact if more expensive. Any suggestions would be appreciated...Dave

[DetroiTug]

I've been using the Teleflex push-pull rotary type helm with 20' cable in my tug for three years, not one issue ever. Works beautifully.


-Ron

[steamdon-jr]

I know people who have rotary and hydraulic, we used hydraulic on our new boat and love it, was easy to install and with 2 helms only the one rotates not both so if your in bow you don't whack the guy sitting on starboard side with other wheel. Mike Condax has had hydraulic for 12 years with no problems and loves it...he puts a lot of miles on his boat too. if you have questions pm me

[Lopez Mike]

Barbara has a hydraulic system on her power boat and it works great except for one small problem (which I hate!).

There is no way to know the rudder position. The only way to center the rudder is to run the wheel all the way one way and then come back half way. I know how many turns stop to stop. You can guess why.

A rudder position indicator of some sort would help but that's just one more thing to sort out and/or go wrong.

It is nice to have two stations that are independent but every time we go to move the boat we have to go through the same fooling around. A pain.

I have an old used rack and pinion gear with a push pull cable that I'd like to use but my steering station is about two thirds of the way back from the bow and they don't sell a short enough cable for me.

Right now I'm using a tiller but I think this Winter I'll be putting together a sprocket, chain and cable setup. I find that when trying to turn the boat in very close quarters, the ability to deflect the rudder to almost 90 degrees is useful. Not much thrust, of course, but what thrust there is turns the boat around in a little less than a couple of boat lengths.

Mike

[dhic001]

Zeltic uses a car steering box upside down under the after deck and driven by shaft and then chain/sprockets from the wheel. The drop arm on the steering box is linked to the tiller arm on the rudder stock by a short link arm. The system is very simple, and incredibly effective, while giving good feedback on the helm. Providing i've got the adjustment on the chain correct, I can steer with one finger in any conditions except going fast astern. Zeltic does however have a big semi-balanced rudder, so steering should be good by any means. I operated an similar system on a 55 foot motor tug, but this time with a truck steering box. It wasn't my design or build, but the system worked superbly, even under high load. Small car steering boxes should be relatively cheap from wreckers the world over, and its a system I'd put on any boat I was building.
Daniel

[Lopez Mike]

I really like the idea of a car steering box. I wish I could think of a good way to get rid of the link from the box output arm to the rudder post. I've fallen in love with extreme rudder deflections in tight quarters and a link runs into limitations beyond maybe 45-50 degrees off of center. That old tangent function crops its ugly head.

Mike

[DetroiTug]

The steering gear boxes work great if there is a straight shot from it to the tiller arm. Depending on the shape of the hull and the setup it can be nearly impossible. I was going to do that on mine, but there is just no practical way to make a link with that much arc in it and have it be rigid. The big tugs have the same problem and why they used a chain system that runs through the knuckle (rub rail) - or a steam or hydraulic system.

-Ron

[Lopez Mike]

For now I think I'll stay with the bits I've collected. I've got a nice wood wheel that Barbara bought for me on EBay, and a couple of bicycle sprockets, 14T and 52T. The plan, such as it is, is to have the wheel on one side of the boat with the shaft running athwart-ships. The 14T on that shaft and the 52T on the rudder post. Two lengths of bicycle chain, on around each sprocket, and some 1/8" S.S. 7x19and a couple of turning blocks to connect the chains to each other.

This will give me about one turn of the wheel for 45 degrees each way on the rudder. And if I want to, I can turn the rudder further. Useless when moving at any significant speed but handy when fooling about in very tight quarters.

Mike

[Oilking]

My dads 34' gillnetter had four stearing stations: on the cabin top, pilot house, back of the cabin, and the cockpit in the stern, plus a Wood-Freeman "Iron Mike"(auto pilot). These were all connected with a combination of shafts, sprockets, roller chain, and galvanized twisted link chain. The wheel in the pilot house had eight spokes with an ebony one to mark zero rudder when it was vertical. When making landings dad preferred to stand in the cabin door with the right hand on the wheel on the cabin back, the left on the throttle, with the clutch handle just below. He said it was easier to watch what the stern was doing from this location. He new the rudder position from a quick glance at the alignment of the ends of the roller chain where they connected to the round link chain, if side by side the rudder was centerted.

In today's world I'd vote for Teleflex because it offers a direct, and posative connection without having to be a millwright wizard to install it. I've used these on outboards and have found them a delight, a totaly differant world from the blocks and cable systems.

Many ways to skin a cat?

Dave

[Lopez Mike]

Yeah, I like the Teleflex systems. They just work with no hassles. I'd give up the ability to have extreme rudder deflections if I could find a used cable that wasn't so long. I even looked into shortening one of the cables. Fugeddaboutit.

Headed out to do some steaming in South Puget Sound near Olympia, WA.

Eat your heart out.

Mike