[C320-list] A Steering Cable Question (my steering failed)

[K L]

I have a question about the steering cables. (The cautionary story follows.) 
I am in the process of re-attaching the steering cables and I am just not 
sure how tight they should be. Of course I want them tight, but how tight? 
Is it possible for them to be too tight? How do I know when to quit 
tightening? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

The long story: I went sailing for the first time with my brother in law who 
was in town on business. He said that he had some sailing experience. He 
seemed comfortable at the helm, sure he let the sails luff from time to time 
but so do I. We were in front of the embarcadero enjoying the afternoon city 
view. I felt comfortable enough to go below for a bottle of water. I felt 
the boat’s weather helm as a gust of wind caught it then I heard a loud 
crack. I bounded up the companionway only to discover that we had no 
steering. My brother in law had managed to turn the wheel beyond its range 
of motion breaking the stop which is really only a small piece of wood. I 
didn’t know it at the time but the chain in the pedestal jumped the track 
and jammed, it would not move. Of course I knew where the emergency tiller 
was located but I had never actually used it. I quickly discovered that the 
direction of the rudder was not obvious from looking at the top of the 
rudder post. I also found out that the Catalina owner’s manual was of no 
help on this issue. Since the chain was jammed, the emergency tiller was 
useless. I went below and quickly worked to remove the cables as the tide 
gently moved us toward the shipping lanes which were obscured by thick fog. 
I was not nearly as calm as this message suggests. I learned several lessons 
from this experience: 1.) Know where the emergency tiller is stored, 2.) 
Know how to judge the direction of the rudder from looking at the top of the 
rudder post, 3.) Practice using the emergency tiller on a calm day so that 
you have a feel for how it works–this is really important especially if you 
want to get back to your slip with the tiller, it is not nearly as easy as 
one might think, and 4) Know how to disconnect the steering cables quickly 
in an emergency.

Ken Danko
Grace, #802
San Francisco