Wierd AutoPilot wire location

[liveaboard60]

A friends auto pilot on his Hunter 31 has been acting up so I gave it a look and here's what I found.. From underneath in the after quarter berth, under the center post onto which the helm is mounted, there is a channel with a bunch of wires going up through it.. These are power wires for GPS, and stuff which is no longer connected..

But I see another channel (in the very middle of the post) through which the wire rope cables between his helm and the steering pulleys pass.. In this same channel the wire which (ultimately) goes to the ring on the helm and the auto pilot's control panel is routed..

While there does not appear to be any wear on the wire from rubbing on the wire rope for the steering, I am thinking this can't be a good long term channel in which to run the auto pilot wire..

Other than whoever installed the unit just being lazy, is there a technical reason for the wire to run in the same channel as the steering cables?? I surely can't think of any but just wanted to throw it out.. No, I am sorry I don't have the name of model number of the auto pilot, but it seems simple enough.. It gets its info from a Garmin GPS 400.. Any thoughts before we disassemble the helm station and re-run the wire??

Thanks in advance.. flk

[a64pilot]

PO's will do the strangest things, you will never figure out why.

[liveaboard60]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

PO's will do the strangest things, you will never figure out why.

Yes, I think they are effected by the phase of the moon, time of the month, and that of solar flares ..

I think I know why we always refer to the boat as "she"..

flk k