Replacing steering wire....

[gtod25]

I am about to help a friend replace the wire on her Edson Steering system on a Hunter 30. As per Edson's recommendation I'm sure all of you change the steering wire every 4 years, so your advice would be appreciated;



As per Edson design policy all the stainless bolts have fused with the aluminum so I see lots of drilling in my future. I would like to just remove the rudderstop and try and remove the cables from there. My main question is, can the tightening bolts be removed this way as they appear to be quite long and can they be removed up through the steering pedestal without having to unbolt the pedestal. There is no way that the Radial drive wheel can be removed from the rudder shaft without resorting to explosives.

Help

Gerry

[sailingdog]

Just one more reason I am glad to have a tiller-steered boat. Have you tried using PBblaster on the bolts?

Also curious, why explosives are not an option.

Do you have close up photos of the area in question???

[xort]

I would like to hear from all the sailors who had failures of their Edson cable steering system after 5 or 7 or 10 years.

And I'd like to hear from those who managed to get by for 20 or 30 years on the original Edson cable steering system.

Mine is 25 years old and I'm sure it's about to sink the boat, start a thermonuclear reaction and bring Hitler back to power.

[sailingdog]

xort—

Hopefully, you won't be on the boat when the first two happen...

[gtod25]

To each his own. I have no argument with you decision not to change out your steering wire on you boat. Just a few questions;

1. Do you apply the same logic to you standing rigging and lifelines?
2. Have you a very good emergency steering system (not the usual sad bent piece of tube located in the bottom of a locker somewhere.
3. Do you do much offshore sailing?

I take it that you have no fundamental objection to my changing out the steering wire on this boat? Feel free not to reply as I am trying to get some experienced assistance in a real situation and not start some abstract conversation on how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Thanks

Gerry

[olson34]

Originally Posted by gtod25

I am about to help a friend replace the wire on her Edson Steering system on a Hunter 30. As per Edson's recommendation I'm sure all of you change the steering wire every 4 years, so your advice would be appreciated;



As per Edson design policy all the stainless bolts have fused with the aluminum so I see lots of drilling in my future. I would like to just remove the rudderstop and try and remove the cables from there. My main question is, can the tightening bolts be removed this way as they appear to be quite long and can they be removed up through the steering pedestal without having to unbolt the pedestal. There is no way that the Radial drive wheel can be removed from the rudder shaft without resorting to explosives.

Help

Gerry

I have done a regular close-up inspection of our cable steering system. It's a YS system from '88. Wires are holding up OK, but several years ago I did have to remove and rebush the sheaves that turn the wires 90 degrees from the base of the binnacle. If those particular wires ever did jump out of the sheave they would likely jam, and your "emergency tiller" would avail you not... until you used large cutters on the cables to free up the system.

If our boat had been ordered by the first owner with the standard tiller, we would have been a lot happier.
Like most well-designed boats it never needed a wheel to disguise poor handling anyhow.
Oh well... It is what it is.

If you want some pics of the sheave project I can send a link; it is a thread over on the EricsonYacht owners' site.
Best,
L