Steering - It's Crazy!

[Neo]

Hi All.

I'm fairly sure my steering cable and bars are in good working order. I've ensured there's minimal slack (on all pivot points) to the outboard but under power the steerings really giving me grief.
Has anyone made any good mods to their steering setup to make it steer better/easier under power?

All the best.
Neo

[EZ]

What speed is steering an issue at?
Is there any difference with rudders up vs rudders down?
How much play is in the steering setup?
What are the conditions like? Lots of wind/waves?
Have you tried slowing down how you correct steering (ie- only steer one spoke at at time and see how she responds)?

These boats do have operating points where they are not very easy to steer. However, once you get used to it, its not bad.

[Neo]

Hi EZ,

I've checked the cable moves with ease and I re-bushed 4 of the pivot points so there is very little slack and it all turns with ease at very slow speeds.
It's just steering the OB really ... Rudders are easy to turn. The OB swings with ease when steering gear is disconnected.

At higher speeds she's pulling to the right so I do need to adjust the trim tab but apart from that I experienced that ...

• Steering is heavy once underway and gets heavier the faster you go.
  Have to constantly steer, 1/4 turn, left to right just go straight
  Steering gets jammed sometimes under mild power at slower speeds ... throttle down and she steers normally again

Conditions yesterday were windy granted, but the time before was not so windy and still had heavy steering.

Many thanks
Neo

[kadet]

Just some things to think about..

Is there crew moving around?
Is the boat trimmed with even weight distribution?
Are all boards up?
Is the ballast tank completely full or empty?
Is the steering arm connected to the correct engine mount point, some motors have more than one?

Take a photo of your steering linkage and post it as it maybe hooked up wrong.

I am now out of ideas

[Retcoastie]

Some unknown information will help. Is this a new thing or has it always been that way? What motor?

I would suggest you have a motor problem. Look closely at the cavitation plate. Could it have been bent lately by hitting something? Same for the vertical alignment of the engine. Could it be tilted? Again perhaps from hitting something. Also, the sacrificial trim tab on the rear of the motor foot. Is it still there and of good size? Perhaps it has been eaten away and needs to be replaced.

Good Luck

Ken

[C Buchs]

One other thing that has been suggested here before is to check to make sure everything is lined up. It was suggested that on the trailer you put the rudders out so that are pointing straight back to see if they are parrallel with eachother. I haven't done this yet, but when she comes out of the water this winter its on my list.

Jeff

[NiceAft]

I have owned my Mac for ten years, and from the beginning I noticed that under power, one has to concentrate to stear a nice straight course. I have always kept my sanity by just assigning it to “it's the nature of the boat”.

There is a sign on the Belt Parkway that announces when you are entering Brookly, NY. It is my attitude about the problem, “FAWGETABOUTIT”. Really, I just don't let it bother me. It's the nature of the boat. Go sailing and don't worry.

Ray
~~~_/)~~~

P.S. When I motor, all boards are up, with the exception of docking. Then the dgr board is just picking through, and at least one rudder is down.

[EZ]

+1 on "are all boards up". I once accidentally left the dboard down while powering at high speed and encountered the issues you described.

You might want to try greasing the steering rod that goes through the boat in the engine well. Sometimes it will rub against the through hole and create extra friction.

Those are all the ideas I have for now.

Knowing the engine make and model might help. What size prop are you using?

[Hamin' X]

If this is occurring with the rudders down, do you have them cleated down? If not, they tend to float out behind and make the steering very heavy.

~Rich

[Rumdirty]

My boat refuses to steer a straight course. I think it's just the nature of the beast. I've also over-tightened my rudders which has prevented me from turning hard either to port or starboard. I keep my dagger down about 6 - 8 inches for slow speed (4-5 knots). If anything higher than that I have it fully retracted. It does interfere with high speed motoring (high speed for me being 7 knots )

[Neo]

Thanks everyone,

The OB is a Mercury 50HP EFI Bigfoot and disconnected it swings with ease.

I think I have a lot of checking and re-testing to do ... Will report back when I have a better breakdown on all this.

All the best.
Neo

[Harrison]

You are not alone: http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 78#p292278

---Harrison

[Starscream]

It may have something to do with the transition zone between sailing speeds and motoring speeds. There is a speed range where these boats are just not stable, period. If I remember correctly its around 10-12 mph and there is nothing to be done about it, just avoid that speed.

At 24 mph my X is rock solid. Steering is a bit stiff when getting out of a high speed turn but that's about it.

[Do+fus1]

When we were out last week, I tried something I learned in the Naval Reserves many, many moons ago. I steer the boat about 10 degrees to the port then 10 degrees past center to starboard, reducing the number of degrees until it settles down and I am steering just a degree or 2 past center in both direction. Did I mention that it was many many moons ago?

[Neo]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Ok I disconnected the steering cable under the floor and had a good look at how easy things swing how far they swing and and where the center points were.
Everything swings with ease (with minimal slack) but I noticed is that when the rudders are dead straight (and when the wheel was centred) the OB is steering slightly starboard (back of OB to starboard). So that definitely needs sorting.

Then I started to wondering about which connection on the OB should be used. The picture below shows it's currently connected to the one closest to the cowl. This makes the OB stays parallel with the rudders but it's also the heaviest leverage point ..... Is it important that the OB stays parallel with the rudders for low speed maneuvers and backing up? ... if you have a Mercury 40/50/60HP which connection hole are you using?



Also, shes currenly pulling quite hard to starboard at higher speeds so I need to set the OB Trim Tab. I currently have the the Tab trailing edge set slightly to port but just read this on another forum ...."For example, if the boat pulls to starboard, move the trailing edge of the trim tab to starboard." ..... is this correct?

One last point. My OB leg is way too low as both plates are well below the water line (no ballast) while under way, would it be good to raise the OB a couple of bolt holes?

All the best.
Neo