Advice needed on hydraulic steering systems for a sailing catamaran

[Lambretta]

I would like to hear from fellow cruisers on what hydraulic rams you would recommend for the steering system for a 50ft sailing catamaran and why. I currently have Schmidt and Lecombe (L&S - from France) however one was damaged in my crossing of the Atlantic from South Africa to the Caribbean (the ram bent which caused fluid bypass, which resulted in me having to recalibrate the rudders every 3 to 5 hours depending on our point of sail (not fun!)
The technician who is helping me with the repair (or replacement!) was not that complementary on this manufacturer (he has no vested interest in which unit I choose as he is not selling me the replacement unit(s) ....... He recommend two other manufacturers to me.

I am prepared to replace two rams if I can justify this from a performance and price perspective - That is I am prepared to pay for a better overall set up - within reason!
. So my choice is (as I see it)
1 - Replace the damaged ram with the same model
2. Replace both rams with a better set of rams

Interestingly this past weekend at the boat show">Annapolis boat show I met an experienced hydraulic person who did not believe the L&S units are poor units.

So I am reaching out to get some expert (and hopefully impartial )
advice on which unit(s) to go for.

The failure of the starboard ram was caused by something wrapping around the prop and rudder which sheared a prop blade and damaged the trailing edge of the starboard rudder- luckily no damage to the sail drive. So the failure of the existing ram is to a certain degree understandable!

[Chotu]

One thing I learned when doing the hydraulic system on my boat is that you can use any ram at all. As long as it functions the same way that you are looking for it to function, and as long as it has the same hydraulic reservoir volume as the one you are replacing. That’s it.

Unless a brand has a bad reputation or is prone to corrosion , they aren’t all that different from each other.


I wish I could definitively make your opinion easier, but I can’t because it doesn’t matter very much. That’s why you are getting different information. Different people will like different ones and they all will work just fine.


Personally, I chose Seastar.

[skipperpete]

Hi Lambretta, I can see how bending a ram would be a good thing in that it absorbed the destructive load and saved the hull and rudder blade from being the ultimate fail points. If you replaced the ram with a much stronger unit then either the hull or the rudder stock could become the fail point and the situation could be much worse ( punctured hull). At least you could still steer the ship and potentially block off the bad ram and continue the journey with one functional rudder. I’d suggest just replace the existing ram with the same if that particular one is still commercially available.

[Searles]

Hi drive from south Australia is verry good gear ,sold world wide .⛵️⚓️

[Lambretta]

Originally Posted by Chotu

One thing I learned when doing the hydraulic system on my boat is that you can use any ram at all. As long as it functions the same way that you are looking for it to function, and as long as it has the same hydraulic reservoir volume as the one you are replacing. That’s it.

Unless a brand has a bad reputation or is prone to corrosion , they aren’t all that different from each other.


I wish I could definitively make your opinion easier, but I can’t because it doesn’t matter very much. That’s why you are getting different information. Different people will like different ones and they all will work just fine.


Personally, I chose Seastar.

Thanks Chotu
I do value your opinion and find your posts on the forum most insightful so thanks for your feedback ...... Seastar is one of the brands I am looking into....I am just trying to find a good retailer for their product here in Annapolis or on the east coast of the USA....... any suggestions?

I am currently using Lecombe and Schmidt and have found an excellent person to deal with on this product.

I am also looking to upgrade my bypass valves at the same time

[Lambretta]

Originally Posted by Searles

Hi drive from south Australia is verry good gear ,sold world wide .⛵️⚓️

Thanks will look into that

[Lambretta]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

Hi Lambretta, I can see how bending a ram would be a good thing in that it absorbed the destructive load and saved the hull and rudder blade from being the ultimate fail points. If you replaced the ram with a much stronger unit then either the hull or the rudder stock could become the fail point and the situation could be much worse ( punctured hull). At least you could still steer the ship and potentially block off the bad ram and continue the journey with one functional rudder. I’d suggest just replace the existing ram with the same if that particular one is still commercially available.

Yes I concur with your feedback and your points are most valid. I am looking at the Seastar equivalent of my ram as I have been lead to believe it has a double seal on the ram collar as opposed to my current unit which as one. I think it will be more robust with less chance of bypass under normal operating conditions.
Thank you for your post.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Lambretta

Thanks Chotu
I do value your opinion and find your posts on the forum most insightful so thanks for your feedback ...... Seastar is one of the brands I am looking into....I am just trying to find a good retailer for their product here in Annapolis or on the east coast of the USA....... any suggestions?

I am currently using Lecombe and Schmidt and have found an excellent person to deal with on this product.

I am also looking to upgrade my bypass valves at the same time

If possible, I would just order it in. Use something like defender.com.

Of course you can check some of the local shops to see if they have better pricing, but I did not find that to be the case. The local shops were much much more expensive.

If you have any technical questions, Dometic, who owns Seastar, has a pretty good technical department to support these hydraulic steering systems.

Just don’t tell them you are steering a 50 foot catamaran. They will have a heart attack. They always do. Ha ha. I believe they over spec’ed my system.

Sea star also has a great website with lots of detailed information and specifications so you can make sure you get one that matches what you have. Just remember you need to have the same cc measurement. And the same mode of operation. You have to match the cc even on a new set. So that they work the same way with your pump at the helm.