Steering Wheel Won't Stop

[Lone Star Ranger]

Has anyone experienced the steering wheel not stopping when turning hard to either Port or Starboard?

This past weekend, we were heading back to our marina, and I had the autopilot on. When approaching a couple of fishing boats ahead, I decided to hit the autopilot's standby button so I could turn the boat and go around the fishing boats, when I did, the boat immediately started to turn hard to starboard to where I made a complete 360 degree circle. Because I immediately went into a circle, I concluded that my rudder was already in a turn position, but now when I turn the wheel hard to starboard, it doesn't stop. At one point, I feel some resistance, like it should stop, but then it gives and I can keep turning the wheel. When I turn to port, it does stop. I've checked the helm station, and my starboard compartment, and the bilge to see if there is any hydraulic fluid from a line leak, but there isn't any. I have also visually checked to ensure that when the wheel turns, so does the arm of the rudder. And finally, I even got into the water, had my wife turn the wheel hard to port, when underwater to ensure the rudder was hard to port (which it was) and the same for starboard, which it was.

It just baffles us that the wheel won't stop turning to starboard now...any ideas out there as to what is going on?
Thanks,
John & Tracey

 

[Dale777]

John and Tracey,

Is it possible that when you thought you pressed the autopilot STANDBY button that you were already in the MENU mode where you can accidentally end up in the ORBIT pattern if you again mistakenly press the wrong button?

I ask this because this did happen once to me when I thought I was repeatedly pressing the button to turn in increments of 1 degree, but in fact I had pressed the MENU button and through repeated presses accidentally got myself into the ORBIT pattern. Believe me, it is a shocker when the boat makes an unexpected severe 360 degree turn.

I learned from that experience to always actually LOOK at the button that I am pressing.

 

[knotflying]

John and Tracey,

Is it possible that when you thought you pressed the autopilot STANDBY button that you were already in the MENU mode where you can accidentally end up in the ORBIT pattern if you again mistakenly press the wrong button?

I ask this because this did happen once to me when I thought I was repeatedly pressing the button to turn in increments of 1 degree, but in fact I had pressed the MENU button and through repeated presses accidentally got myself into the ORBIT pattern. Believe me, it is a shocker when the boat makes an unexpected severe 360 degree turn.

I learned from that experience to always actually LOOK at the button that I am pressing.

I did the same thing once and couldn't figure out what was going on, so first make sure you are out of any mistakenly entered program.

 

[South lake]

I have had something similar. I've hit standby on the autopilot and then started to turn the wheel and had no real response like the autopilot was still on. Over time I've found that I count to 10 when I hit standby before I take the wheel. That seems to work. When I had that problem earlier I would re engage the autopilot, then hit standby and count to 10 before I took the wheel and everything would be OK.

I have no idea why this happened but I do know I was putting the boat in standby.

 

[BaseCampAnne]

Yes, add me to that list of doing the doughnut also. However I think it may be a different cause on Cascadia.

It has happened a couple of times since I hired someone to adjust the autopilot while in Ketchikan. I figured I probably pushed the wrong button, but the second time I discovered that the autopilot button to turn to the right sometimes does not release when I push it. I do not know why it sticks, but I have gone back to my original way of turning which is to take over manual control rather than watch the button stick.