STEERING LOST

[Sterellie]

Today was to be a beautiful cruise in Hampton Rhodes, Virginia. All went well for about four hours. Then suddenly while in the main shipping channel, all steering and control of my new 21EC was gone. We didn't go aground, as we were in 40' of water. Thanks for the Coast Guard, we were towed to a friends dock. Anyone else have a similar experience. When I get it back on the trailer what shall I look for? Suggestions?

 

[Kamalani]

Then suddenly while in the main shipping channel, all steering and control of my new 21EC was gone. ?

Did you lose any controls other than steering? Engine controls operated? Throttle & Gear shifting ok? Do you have the bow thruster?
As I understand it, the steering system is a fairly basic manual hydraulic with a steering ram connected to the rudder. Could there be a failure of that connection?

 

[Sterellie]

All other functions working... I looked for a diagram of the steering controls, but nothing in my packet of information. Is there a booklet devoted to the Ranger 21 with information on the boat itself (i.e. diagrams of all functions of the boat). No such information came with the boat.

 

[Stella Maris]

Prior to the "failure", did the steering act sluggish or abnormal? If so, right in front of the wheel, there is a small knob. Open this and check that you have hydraulic fluid in it. When we took delivery of Solitude, our system had a leak. The helm had to be replaced as it was not repairable.

If the hydraulic fluid is low, top it off and see if this solves the issue.

 

[rt11002003]

I don't think the R-21 EC has any hydraulics in the steering system. I haven't seen any on mine. The steering system has an enclosed cable that is open at each end.

To check the aft end, enter the aft storage area and remove the cover on the centermost port. The rudder post and other steering mechanism is down there. The aft end connects to an arm which is attached to the rudder post. There are three possible things to check. The attachment of the enclosed cable to the bulkhead; the open end of the cable to the arm; and the arm to the rudder post. Any of those can be loose, or disconnected.

The forward open end of the cable is attached to the steering wheel mechanism, behind the console. I haven't looked, but most of the Morris systems I've seen have that cable end attached to a drum that is part of the the steering wheel. The cable can come loose.

The aft area is generally where the problems occur. I'd check it first. Then check the front to make sure that connection is tight.

I must admit; I haven't checked my front part of the cable attachment. 😳


Gene

 

[rustednail]

As Gene descriped, is how my steering system is, and i'm as 😳 embarrased as Gene is, that I haven't inspected either end of my steering system this season.

Sterellie, if you need a "blue print," so to speak, to look at my boat can be available. Send me a PM if you wish.

At any case, would love to hear what happend/caused this problem.

Best of Luck,
Brian

 

[Andrew Custis]

Here is what I have seen. On our newer model R21's there is a keyway on the actual rudder arm that the tiller arm connects to. You can get to all of this at the inspection plate in the back lazarette.

The 2009 and older models do no use a keyway. They use a threaded bolt that threads into a small pre-drilled hole into the rudder arm itself. Located in the same place, I have seen a few of these vibrate out of the hole. The factory uses a threadlock sealant or a piece of metal wire (Like you would use on your shackle for the anchor) to make sure it cannot spin free. After I had the first phone call of this happening, this is when I made sure the production line started doing this. Not a bad idea to check on your R21 and is a simple fix if you knew what to look for.

 

[Sterellie]

Thanks to Andrew, Brian, Gene and all....

It was the set screw, which had come loose allowing the tiller yoke to turn without turning the rudder post. A simple fix for a big problem. Arn't these boats great? Thanks again to all.

Sterellie, Raven

 

[Kamalani]

Gene - thanks for setting me straight on the hydraulic error. Sounds like i'd better take a good look back there myself.
Alex.

 

[rt11002003]

I discovered how the manual steering systems worked via my Albin 27 AC. I hadn't looked in that compartment for awhile when it was opened for a couple thinking about buying the Albin. There was a pool of oily substance in the compartment. The male immediately started telling me it was a hydraulic leak. When we couldn't find a hydraulic accumulator or pump, he decided the cable sheath was the hydraulic system. Then he decided the cable sheath was liquid filled and it was leaking. I insisted it was a manual steering system and the pool was something else. 😉 Do you think that might have cost me the sale? :?

The culprit was diesel fuel. I had overfilled a tank a couple of months before; fuel was forced out around the measuring indicator probe and found its way back to that compartment. 😳

When they left I examined the whole steering system, using my manual. That taught me a lot about manual systems. Unfortunately, I don't seem to remember to keep checking these things. If I'm in an area I'll look things over, but I'm not as organized as I should be. 🙁

Glad I could offer a little help.

Gene