Newf
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2014
- Messages
- 320
- Fluid Motion Model
- R-21 EC
- Vessel Name
- Saltwater Joy
A couple of days ago I had a sudden failure of the steering cable. I had the dropped anchor system to fish halibut and was backing away from the buoy when there was a short grinding noise in the helm and then free wheeling. I checked the access port above the rudder and nothing was moving. With no visible access to the linkage, using my phone camera I was able to see the pinned connection and after some time playing with side cutters was able to get the cotter pin and connecting pin to the rudder out.
With the use of a pair of vice grip on the rudder we were able to get pull anchor when we were done fishing, pick up a couple of crab traps and get back in safely with my buddy at the throttle and me sitting on the rear step steering with the vice grips.
Pulled the helm out and cable was broken inside. The gearing looked fine but the spool that the cable runs through looked worn so will have to replace both helm and cable. There is a cable support bracket and slide tube at the rear under the starboard inspection port area but not visible through the hole. Again, with use of the camera was able to see how it was mounted and disconnected it. Tried disconnecting the cable nut from the aluminum slide tube but it's was badly corroded in the tube threads and snapped it off with very little force.
After searching online I found that the mounting bracket can also be purchased with a stainless tube so you would think that with the difficulty of access to this area a stainless tube would have been used instead of aluminum..... Oh well.
Haven't pulled the cable through yet so hopefully it is not secured to the side of the hull somewhere that can't be accessed. Never a dull moment. A bright side is that we did get a little chicken halibut before pulling anchor and we did get home safely.
With the use of a pair of vice grip on the rudder we were able to get pull anchor when we were done fishing, pick up a couple of crab traps and get back in safely with my buddy at the throttle and me sitting on the rear step steering with the vice grips.
Pulled the helm out and cable was broken inside. The gearing looked fine but the spool that the cable runs through looked worn so will have to replace both helm and cable. There is a cable support bracket and slide tube at the rear under the starboard inspection port area but not visible through the hole. Again, with use of the camera was able to see how it was mounted and disconnected it. Tried disconnecting the cable nut from the aluminum slide tube but it's was badly corroded in the tube threads and snapped it off with very little force.
After searching online I found that the mounting bracket can also be purchased with a stainless tube so you would think that with the difficulty of access to this area a stainless tube would have been used instead of aluminum..... Oh well.
Haven't pulled the cable through yet so hopefully it is not secured to the side of the hull somewhere that can't be accessed. Never a dull moment. A bright side is that we did get a little chicken halibut before pulling anchor and we did get home safely.
