Emergency Steering for Racing.

[Clemo]

Separate to the other Racing Rules thread.

For the "Heaven Can Wait" I understand that we need to demonstrate an emergency steering setup.

Anyone had any thoughts on this matter?

Tks,
Clemo,
C ya.

[nchogberg]

I had the misfortune of my steering cable stripping out coming into our inlet. It takes about 15 minutes to get through with lots of traffic. I lashed my boat hook onto the steering bar with ropes and bungy cord and used it like a tiller.

Nels

[brianhar]

Clemo,
I know just what your looking for and I have done the mod for my boat to meet the YA requirements for Cat 5N. I'm going racing on Sunday and I'll take a couple of pictures of my setup for you. It'a relatively simple mod made of a couple of steel tubes prebent and welded from Bunnings (makes a fence). A simple bracket onto the outboard to mount the tubing to and away you go.

Brian

[brianhar]

Clemo,
I finally managed to get some photo's of my emergency tiller setup. Essentially it is made up of a couple of pre-pressed and welded 1" pipe from Bunnings. Bunnings sell these bits as build your self gate pieces. I cut one end off and welded it to a piece of flat steel and bolted that to the motor.

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww28 ... iller3.jpg

The pieces that made up the tiller can be pulled apart and I currently store them below decks. However I plan to make up some brackets to fit them underneath the skippers seat.

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww28 ... iller2.jpg

When the pieces are put together and fitted to the motor it makes a very effective tiller. I have tried mine and it works well.

As far as using it for sailing is concerned, it's not a fantastic solution, but it would work in light to moderate winds (asuming that the rudders have been raised). I doubt that it would work in strong winds, but then again if I broke my steering in strong winds my desire to sail (and I suspect the admiral's) would dwindle rapidly.

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww28 ... iller1.jpg

If you have any more questions, bring them on.

I hope that this helped.

Brian

[Clemo]

Thanks 4 that Brian.

I feel the same way, broken steering, go home.

I have a Tohatsu, but it just means adaptation.

Tks again
C ya.

[Berber Boy]

Brian,

Great idea. thanks
Do the press fit elements hold tight enough to exert reasonable leverage especially on the tiller arm. I have used that stuff from Bunnings before and was surprised that it would hold but apparently in your test it it did. Just wonder whether you would need some kind of locking arrangement eg. SS bolt and wingnut through it?

Cheers

David

[brianhar]

David,
the bits I used fit very firm and in the couple of trials that I have put them together for, it took a fair amount of work to get them apart again. If they were a loose fit, I'd be more in favour of smacking the edge to take it off square and ensure a tight fit. I'm not really in favour of adding more bits (bolt, clip etc), as the more complex a design the more likely of failure. Seeing that this is designed (flash word for banged together) for emergency use, I'll just keep with the KISS principle.

It does work, and it works well.

Brian

[Berber Boy]

KISS is a good principle whenever possible so glad to hear that they hold fairly well. good easy mod that when you have it you probably will not need it but when you don't Murphy's law will always prevail.

Thanks Brian