Lost Steering

[CaptainAl]

Hi everyone, had a bit of a drama on the River Tamar today! Left our mooring and heard a cracking/clicking sound coming from just behind the steering wheel (had full left lock on at the time). The steering then froze up.

After drifting down the river for a few miles /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I managed to uncouple the piston arm that controls the rudder and just use the tiller to guide the boat back to the mooring.

I'm not sure if the steering is hydrolic or cable operated. There's a hose that goes into the back of the wheel, which runs to the back of the boat where a piston arm controls the rudder.

Can anyone suggest what might be causing the system to lock up, and any potential remedies?

Many thanks!
Al

 

[volvopaul]

Its cable steering, sounds like its seized cable if you can move the ruder arm ok, its clicks and jumps on the spiral on the cable, maybe its seized at the rudder end, try some wd40 up inside the cable, mine seized over the winter once on my avon rib with 15hp merc, wd did the trick.