Solimar Steering

[Chris_Stannard]

I have Solimar wheel steering, with cables to a quadrant on the rudder head. The boat manual says to service in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. These were missing when I bought the boat and an email to Solimar produces no answer. Has anyone got a similar system and if so can you tell me what the service instructions are, with particular reference to the need to lubricate the cables and what the tension should be.

Many thanks

Chris Stannard

 

[pvb]

Solimar...

I've got Solimar steering, too, and I lubricate the cables with ordinary grease perhaps once a year. It's a bit of a messy job. Wind the steering hard over one way, wipe grease on the exposed cable, then wind it hard over the other way and grease the cable then exposed at the other end of the conduit. At the same time, check for any fraying of the cables. Lubricate the sheave axles with oil. Remember also to lubricate the bearings in the steering pedestal. In terms of tension, there should be virtually no free play at the wheel.

I found that the wheel on my boat "rocked" very slightly on its shaft, no matter how tightly the nut was screwed on. I fixed it by smearing Rapid Araldite on the shaft and refitting the wheel. (To remove it, all that's needed is gentle heat from a hot air gun and a good pull with a hub puller).

Solimar moved offices in April this year, and for a time there was no response to e-mails (I was trying to get a leather cover kit for my wheel). If you'd like to try again, send a note to Annalisa Samori (solimar4@virgilio.it).