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delmarrey · 18-10-2008, 22:32

One of the things I had to do was rip out the old main traveler system. I built a bridge and mounted a new Lewmar system on the transom.

I left in the old rudder/tiller post as an emergency back up. Obviously, the traveler car will need to be to one side or other of the centerline for the tiller. The tiller lifts up for the car to pass. As well, I can see the position of the rudder.

The old system had a large quadrant sitting on a Teflon thrust washer. Which worked OK but I decided to put in a roller bearing system to cut down in friction for when I added the hyd. auto pilot.

So, I built a roller quadrant and roller pad for the hyd system. The pad I built had to be dialed in square to the axis of the rudder shaft and machined so. The original pad was actually a shaft seal with the Teflon thrust washer sitting on top of it and was out of square 1/16” port to stbd.

delmarrey · 18-10-2008, 22:40

Now came the fun part.

The layout and building of the hyd. cylinder mount. The hard part was getting in & out of the transom area thru a crawl hole behind the motor. And that included working on the quadrant as well.

Laying out the angle and trueness of the cylinder was a real challenge. It turned out the transom was just wide enough to take the cylinder for a 35º-angle swing. As it was I had to cut a hole in the inner skin of the hull for the cyl. shaft to stroke all the way to one side. A stroke of luck. My estimates in the lay out said I had just enough room.

Next I had to build a mount for the cyl. A mahogany box that fit the shape of the hull. The hole is to access the inside for more filler and fiberglass. I used epoxy to attach it to the hull, then epoxiy-ed in fillets inside and out. Then put a couple layers of glass over it all.

On top of the mount (box) I added a piece of SS plate so that all the mounting holes took the same shear strength. Every thing is hard plumbed except for the last 8”, which allows for the movement of the cylinder. FYI--Soft plumbing will stretch and flex acting like there is air in the lines or like backlash in a cable system.

delmarrey · 18-10-2008, 22:46

Oops!

The first picture belongs to the last post.

The next item on the list was the safety/bypass valve. This is to insure that if the rudder takes too much of a sideways load, it will allow the hyd’s to bypass until the load has subsided, like when cresting a wave and the boats broaches a bit. It’s better to loose your steering for a moment then to loose it, or a rudder, completely. Right next to the valve is the newly rebuilt Navtec hyd’s for the backstay tensioner.

Inside the cockpit I have a valve handle to open the bypass for using the tiller.

It took me three different sources to find all the non-corrosive hyd fittings. And the ones that actually fit to the back of the pump I had to manufacture. It was really stupid in the design! The plumbing requires 3/8” tubing. It required an adaptor from a # 6 O-ring fitting (5/16”) to a #8 tube fitting (3/8”). No one in this world makes such and animal so I took a High pressure SS #8-8 and machined the O-ring end down to a #6. Even the dealer didn’t have a fitting to go between. In steel, yes, but not in a nonferrous fitting.

What I really like about the hyd system is when you let go of the wheel the rudder stays put. Some say they like the feedback so they can adjust out the weather helm. But what I have done is put in a couple hyd gauges, P/S directions that give me a reading of the feedback. It works great! When I get on the tack/track I want, I adjust the sails until I get the lowest reading on the gauge. I find the highest readings I get are when I’m straightening back out of coming-about.
It’s the two gauges on the bottom row.

One other thing I did in this process was to pull the rudder, do an inspection and give it 4 more coats of glass/epoxy with a finish barrier coat.

delmarrey · 18-10-2008, 22:49

Getting the rudder in and out wasn’t too bad. I had to dig a hole in the ground, which was Ezer then getting a lift and trying to lower the rudder while being hung in the air. I put a cross bolt in the top of the rudder post and tied off a line from the main halyard, down thru a sheave that was tied off on the back stay, just above the rudder post.
Using that system I lowered the rudder down and also re-installed it back in that way with the help of a friend to line it up. I think it was Ezer to get back in then it was to get out.

delmarrey · 18-10-2008, 22:55

And since I had the rudder out I made a new prop shaft from aqualoy , installed a new cutlass bearing and bought a new prop. While I was at all this I did some touch up on the stern tube since I was installing a new PSS. And I put in a couple grease fitting for the top and bottom rudderpost bearings.

At slow speeds the old prop was sounding like a garbage disposal.

Talbot · 19-10-2008, 01:13

Will you be fitting an autohelm into your system?

Very clear explanations - I am in awe at the work you are doing.

David_Old_Jersey · 19-10-2008, 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talbot

I am in awe at the work you are doing.

Ditto. and feeling somewhat inadequate

delmarrey · 19-10-2008, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talbot

Will you be fitting an autohelm into your system?

Very clear explanations - I am in awe at the work you are doing.

Thanks!

There are a lot more details to all this but I don't need to write a book.

I can plumb in a Raymarine, an ST4000 or better. But I have been looking at a better unite from ComNav built in Canada, which is also where my hyd unites (Kolbelt) are from, who also makes a power unite.

http://www.kobelt.com/pdf/brochure_steeringintro.pdf
ComNav

I still have the ole ST4000 tiller unit, which I can use for a back up when I open the bypass and move the traveller over to one side. I actually considered going with the double mainsheet set up, not a traveller, but that just puts too much line in the steering station. The single is bad enough.

bypass valve-in the center

Weyalan · 20-10-2008, 15:29

Fantastic work!

delmarrey · 23-11-2008, 18:06

Well here's the latest. The seats and ladders came in but I made some changes to both. The seats had about 2 extra inches (50 mm) of frame sticking out the back so I shortened them so the back edge of the seat was about 1/4" (7 mm) away from the cockpit bulkhead.

Also the ladders were 1-1/4" (32 mm) wider then the seats so I narrowed them down to the same mounting width as the seats. That way I can mount the seats on the ladder brackets, which put it about 3" (76 mm) higher right in front of the wheel. The under leg of the seat swings strait down for the hight position. I'll put in lock pins to keep it from folding back.

In the second picture below you can see my Ooops.

I miscalculated the position of the second sheet cleat. The ladder is too close! Soooo, another one of those minor adjustments.

The third picture shows the seat and ladder brackets on the port side. While I'm out sailing, motoring or at rest I can adjust the cockpit anyway that soots the situation. While sailing I'll only keep one ladder in the cockpit and switch it to the high side if I'm wanting to go up on deck but chances are I will not even have the ladders in place. I still need to add a piece of non-skid just above the ladders.

If I want to lay down I'll put in both seats and stretch a board between the two ladders for my legs to rest on. Or, I can rest my back against the cabin and stretch my legs across the seats.

Some may not agree with how I've set this up but I do a lot of single handing and this is what soots me. I don't like crawling across or stepping on permanent seats.

BTW- I'm building a smaller helm wheel (16") for long distance motoring, while in port or at anchor. This will allow me to pass by the pedestal w/o having to go up on deck and back down again. The big wheel I'm mount right behind the coxswain. Under power I will not need to access the main halyard .