Some time ago our steering mechanism was making noise when we turned to port. I opened up the steering mechanism from the pedestal all the way down and aft to the steering post and lubricated it as recommended. The noise went away. Today, after leaving a fueling dock, the steering mechanism was all of a sudden stiff during part of the turn to port. Has anyone had this experience? If so, do you have any recommendations on how to proceed.
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Bob Longo
Transcendent, 1993 Catalina 36 Mk. 1.5, hull 1237
Raleigh, NC
Be sure to check the easy stuff 1st. Any thing in the aft lockers that are in contact with the steering gear? Boat fenders, power chords....
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Here in Maine sometimes that is caused by a Lobster warp and Bouy caught in the space between the rudder and skeg. On a friends boat (Bennetau) he bought in CT it was barnicle growth in that same area thaat created hard steering.
Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine
Well I pulled off the cover under the steering post to inspect the operation back to the rudder post. All looked well. So, I pulled the compass and bindle off and rotated the wheel fully each way a couple times. All of a sudden the steering smoothed out. I inspected the pieces I had removed carefully. A Ritchie cover plate was cracked and very brittle with little pieces easily breaking off. While I never found the offending chip, I believe a little chip got caught in the chain and came out while I was disassembling the compass et al. I did some research on the Ritchie part. It turns out it is a cover intended to keep stuff out of the steering mechanism while the compass is off for service. It shouldn't have been there in the first place but has been since I purchased the boat in 2017. I removed it and ordered a replacement to use for it's intended purpose the next time I need the compass serviced. Go figure. But it fits in with other oddities I have corrected over time.
Thanks to all for your thoughts.
Bob Longo
Transcendent, 1993 Catalina 36 Mk. 1.5, hull 1237
Raleigh, NC
While it is difficult to do the following check, not doing it can lead to disastrous consequences!
On our '91, hull number 1120, the fiberglass stops used to prevent the rudder from turning too far to starboard or port were not built up widely enough and the stop post on the steering quadrant was beginning to wear down the edges and allow the quadrant to move too far to Port. This allowed the terminals on the control cables to rise up too far into the pedestal and begin to fray against the brass gear wheel behind the steering wheel axle. Once that thimbled stainless steel wire frays completely, you lose all steering and the chain and cable drops into the cover in the aft cabin.
The only certain way to check the situation on your vessel is to remove the panel in the aft cabin at the stern and slide back there with a flashlight on your back to look up at where the post contacts the stops. Make sure that it is making solid contact with the fiberglass covered plywood stops. I ended up using galvanized corner braces around those stops to ensure they would not wear any further.
Have your emergency steering post handy at all times and check that your access port and the tool to open it are always near at hand regardless. On our boat the handle for the bilge pump is meant to be used as the steering post tiller.
Be sure to have line of cables attached as during emergency situations things can get hairy quickly and metal parts like the emergency tiller and manual bilge pump handle can drop over the stern leaving you entirely rudderless! I speak from experience...
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada