Hydraulic Steering..

[Guest]

I have hydraulic steering on our boat, built 86, (see my web site www.yachtman.co.uk for pics)and consider it more reliable than cable we had on the previous boat as the wires had to be replace every 5 years, at least the hydraulic is self lubricating ! and eaisly checked for leaks. are you sure you want feedback when the rudder gets hit by a wave?. Would keep, but carry 5 ltr of oil if it developed a leak, and if the ram looks doubtful a spare.

David

 

[Guest]

My 38 foot, 7 ton yacht has Hydraulic steering at the moment and am thinking of changing to rack and pinion or cable as there is no feedback from the rudder and I'm worried about problems fixing it if it ever broke at sea.. But I was told by a couple of shipwrights that I should keep the Hydraulic. Any views out theres??

 

[Guest]

I did a delivery recently of a yacht with hydraulic steering....didn't like it one bit., for the reasons outlined by you. Mind you on my own 36'steel I had cable and liked it, plus never had trouble. Go for it. Brian

 

[Guest]

Alomost all hydraulic steering systems are devoid of feel because they are designed for power boats and have anti feedback valves. By comparison, your car has hydraulic steering but it has feel because it has feedback. The point is that many hydraulic steering pumps can have their anti feedback valves removed. You then have a system with all the advantages of hydraulics (reliabilty, plumbed in autohelm etc) and with feel. Personally, I have left my hydraulic system as supplied because I find that the advantage of being able to put the wheel over, leave it whilst attending to the sheets, and the put the wheel amidships when through the wind, is an advantage that outweighs the lack of feel. Your choice but I certainly would try removing the valve concerned before going to the cost of the (crude) cable systems.

 

[Guest]

Re: Hydraulic v cable steering..

Swap my cable for your hydraulic?

 

[Guest]

Do you really enjoy the feeling that much. My autopilot does most of my steering with a bypass valve and I dont feel a thing. The cable system it replaced nearly cost me my life when it failed

 

[Guest]

It\'s not the \'Right\' thing to do but...

...we crossed half the Atlantic, a few years ago, with olive oil in the hydraulic steering system when a series of catastrophes resulted in loss of the spare supply of the 'proper' mineral oil. The olive oil worked fine and didn't cause any damage to the system. I am not suggesting you stock olive oil for the purpose, it's just always handy to know what will work if some drongo loses the 'proper' supply over the side, whilst tripping over something that has been there since the boat was built ) Hydraulic steering takes a little getting used to. In the end you realise that you are steering 'by the seat of your pants' and feel the boat's reactions to the wheel as a bodily movement rather than a movement in the hand. I'm probably teaching grandad to suck eggs but, while I'm at it, if yours is anything like ours, every move has to be made in anticipation. You turn the wheel, wait anything from a few seconds to what feels like all eternity and there she comes. The more you do it, the more familiar you get with her reaction to different seas. Why bother? We sail alone, as a couple. I can steer our 71' schooner, 38 tons, with a rudder the size of a barn door and twice as heavy, with my big toe, in smooth seas, and the open palms of my hands in an absolute hooley. I weigh 7 and three quarter stone, I'm 5'6" and female. If the auto-pilot dies, you can steer for hours with hydraulic steering. Not so easy with rack and pinion or other alternatives. We'd never willingly go back to 'conventional' steering. I'm glad for you that you share our good fortune in having acquired a boat with the best steering system out! Happy sailing!

 

[Guest]

Correction, cars do not have hydraulic steering, they have hydraulic "power assist" to a mechanical steering system. If the hydraulics fail, you can still "steer" the car, but with your boats system if it fails; you are out of luck. (hopefully you carry an emergency tiller?). The only way to go is with a mechanical torque tube gearbox system similar to cars as supplied by Whitlock and Edson.