Repairing an old Proust Cat steering

[Catamaran]

Hi all,

We have an old Prout 33 cat down in Cornwall.

We desperately need to replace the steering controls. As basically it has none at the moment!

We think hydraulic is the way forward. It used to have horrible bars with UJs all the way.

Anyone done this or recommend a thread?

Been quoted £6k, which seems steep, but expected for boat repairs!

 

[Rappey]

Hydraulic terminates with a push/pull mechanism so wouldn't you still need connecting rods? Hydraulic is great for heavy steering. Do you need hydraulic?
Teleflex/morse could do the same thing at a far cheaper price

 

[StefanSG]

If you’re interested I can show you pictures of my hydraulic conversion (with push/pull rods or tie bars) on my 1973 Prout 35 but if you’re talking about the external rods I would recommend you convert the rudders to the internal type, much neater and more protected from the elements, as per all the later Prouts. Private message me your email address.

 

[geem]

My previous boat was a Prout 37 Snowgoose. It had a connecting bar running in the aft tunnel. The connecting bar joined to short tillers going to each rudder. Halfway down the aft beam tunnel was an access lid that allowed access to the tunnel/beam from outside. At this location there was a hydraulic ram that provided steering from the wheel pump. All very simple and robust. The only part that caused me some trouble to source was the ball joints connecting the tillers to the bar. They were from a Hillman Hunter!

 

[StefanSG]

Thanks geem that is a better explanation of what I think is the better option.. but it does mean a bit of planning, dropping the rudders on the hard, and some fabrication. Best to find a later quest/sirocco with the internal tie bar for reference and basically convert your rudders into the same setup (with internal tiller bars that join onto the tie bar with the Hillman Hunter ball joints - or something similar or more common ie Ford Transit !)

 

[Scillypete]

Hi all,

We have an old Prout 33 cat down in Cornwall.

We desperately need to replace the steering controls. As basically it has none at the moment!

We think hydraulic is the way forward. It used to have horrible bars with UJs all the way.

Anyone done this or recommend a thread?

Been quoted £6k, which seems steep, but expected for boat repairs!

There’s a fairly active Prout owners group on face ache that you may glean much information from.

I’ve just sold my quest 33cs and am currently sitting on it in Newlyn part way through delivering it to the new owner if you want some pictures I can try and get what you’re after and post them here

 

[Rappey]

- or something similar or more common ie Ford Transit

Something like this. Easier to take apart and a common part

 

[StefanSG]

There’s a fairly active Prout owners group on face ache that you may glean much information from.

I’ve just sold my quest 33cs and am currently sitting on it in Newlyn part way through delivering it to the new owner if you want some pictures I can try and get what you’re after and post them here

Assuming you’ve got the internal tie bar - Catamaranman I’d get down to Newlyn with a tape measure and some callipers and a camera.

SSG

 

[geem]

Thanks geem that is a better explanation of what I think is the better option.. but it does mean a bit of planning, dropping the rudders on the hard, and some fabrication. Best to find a later quest/sirocco with the internal tie bar for reference and basically convert your rudders into the same setup (with internal tiller bars that join onto the tie bar with the Hillman Hunter ball joints - or something similar or more common ie Ford Transit !)

Yep, the Hillman Hunter ball joints were a pain. I managed to find some so I had spares but in 11 years and several tens of thousands of miles, they never needed fitting.

 

[Neeves]

Our steering on Josepheline was a conventional bicycle chain on the wheel acting on 2 stainless wires that passed from the steering by way of sheaves to pull on the cross beam bar. The stainless wires passed under the bridge deck though a conduit, that was part of the cockpit deck reinforcement. The original wires were, strangely, galvanised wire but they quickly corroded. The cross beam bar was fabricated and passed down into each transom to each tiller on the top of the rudders. The beam was a hollow square gal steel cross section, in 2 half, one have slid into the other to allow installation. The cross beam bar was only supported on the tillers. The tillers were very short. We had nothing as sophisticated as a Hillman Hunter ball joint. Access to the stainless cables was at and below the wheel and through hatches on the aft end of the bridge deck transom. The auto-pilot acted on the cross beam.

It worked well but was insensitive. I missed the sensitivity of light steering. It was all very simple.

When the first galvanised wire failed we were in the middle of no-where and I took the steering cables and sheaves apart, replaced the failed one with wire, we happened to have a wire of the right dimensions and later bought 2 more spare wires.

Though we lost wheel steering we retained full control as the autopilot acted on the cross beam.

Jonathan