The Steamboating Forum

Oh, Wes.

A: It fits on some weird short tapered square.

B: It is a really horrible thing. I'll send you a picture one of these days.

Mike

Emilyanne is about 6 turns lock to lock, which is proberbly too much for a launch, but certainly gives and upper limit.


Daniel

Well my boat is 12 turns lock to lock! Probably why there are 2 electric (one 12v and one 110 ac) drives on the "ARC".

Hey Mike -Check out Wolfgang's steering in the "Rose" Simple push-pull and shiney!![/img]

I found a rack and pinion with push pull cable setup from an old dead power boat. It has been interesting trying to figure out the best way to shorten the cable. Lots of hardened flex cables and housings. I think I have it all scoped out. They don't make this type any more and anyway, I'm too tight to buy a shorter one anyway.

Barbara bought me a nice little wood and brass wheel from a place that sells decor for junky theme restaurants. I figure if I slather on enough varnish it won't fall apart right away. It's the best built part of the hull!

On large vessels the usual maximum angle of the rudder is thirty five degrees each way, after that there is no advantage, I cannot speak for small boats though.
There has been a lot said about steering arrangements both on this site and in the pages of “funnel” the SBA quarterly. I really am amazed that people go to so must trouble over something which is so simple. My boat has from new been fitted with a manual hydraulic system marketed in Europe by a company called Vetus.
It is simple, easy to install, relatively inexpensive and can be fitted very unobtrusively with a little thought. The wheel connects to a shaft which itself is a small pump, two small lines pass out of sight to a small brass hydraulic cylinder attached to a small tiller arm.
Care has to be taken to anchor the other end of the cylinder to a point suitable and strong enough but that's it, you can even have two wheels connected if you have a large boat.
Regards
Jack

"relatively inexpensive" is, indeed, relative. It it easy to spend hundreds of dollars on even a simple single station hydraulic system. And the second that you add another station you lose any indication of rudder angle. Now add to the bill a rudder angle indicator.

Don't get me wrong. I have installed and used hydraulic systems on larger power boats and found them very smooth and powerful. Just not about to drop that sort of money on my little hobby boat.

If I could get it past my partner, I would just stay with a tiller. I have an offshore 11 meter sailboat with tiller that I have been sailing for over twenty-five years and I love it.

the basic pump & cylinder is about £600 in UK if you think that is expensive you are in the wrong hobby
Jack

Let's see. That's over $900 u.s. That would buy me enough 12mm Bruynzeel plywood for a new hull. I paid $30 for the used rack and pinion gear that I'm modifying and another $30 for the wood wheel.

I appreciate that other people can afford to buy most of the parts for their boat but please do appreciate that some of us are enjoying steam boating on a shoe string and must (indeed prefer to) build and scrounge almost everything. We both have a good time.

Apologies for "hijacking" the thread, but...

One of the joys and pleasures about hobby steamboating: It accommodates people of all ages, levels of expertise, and financial resources. All you need is a desire to own/operate/ride a steamboat. You can spend as much or as little, in time and/or money as you are able/want.
In over forty years of participation I've seen a 14' plywood hull, powered by a steam engine made from a scrapped single cylinder lawnmower engine, built by a high school senior for less than $ 500 as well as a 23' Elliott Bay hull, Alex Ritchie built engine, code built VFT boiler, finished by the owner in teak and mahogany and brass, costing well over $ 75,000 in materials and paid labor. Both owners enjoyed their boats. Many people viewed them and rode on them. Having the money to buy desired/needed items "off the shelf" is a help, but there can be as much pleassure derived from "scrounging" for a part - the amount of searching, haggling, rebuilding devoted is in direct proportion to the "desireability" of said part.

We're not a hobby of "swells" - but there are an awful lot of people having fun.