Spectra line is similar to
steel cable in strength and elasticity but has additional problems with minor chafe, radius of turn (sheave diameter) and possible UV degradation.
- - I would stay away from galvanized
steel cables in a
salt air
environment. They are relatively softer and stretch more than using
stainless steel cable. But any metal cable will probably/might require replacement of the sheaves as the sheave material for wire cable is different from those designed for rope/line. Other than that wire is what is used on most all boats that are not using
hydraulic steering or pipe/rod steering systems.
- - Think about an easy system of adjusting the tension of the wire cable before switching. Wire will slowly stretch over time and you will need to "tighten" the cable to take slack or sag out. Same thing with any area where the wire passes through a bulkhead you need to consider abrasion - especially if the wire can contact other pipes,
cables,
wiring.