[C320-list] First time out and QUESTIONS!

[Scott Thompson]

I've found that steering in reverse also is made harder if you use too 
much throttle.  Best to apply a good bit of throttle at first to get 
moving, but then throttle back to idle, or even shift into neutral, and 
coast.  The boat steers beautifully while coasting backwards.  Once you 
are moving, only use the throttle as little as may be needed to keep 
moving.  You will not be able to steer until you are moving.

The key insight is that when you are motoring forward the boat behaves 
as if you have an outboard engine.  That's because (as Chris points out 
below) the large rudder just aft of the prop is able to deflect the high 
speed prop wash to give you a steering effect similar to pointing the 
prop to the side.  This lets you easily make sharp turns even with 
almost no forward speed.

When you are motoring backward, this doesn't work because the prop wash 
is moving away from the rudder -- not towards it.  Motoring in reverse 
is more like sailing -- the rudder doesn't respond unless the boat is 
moving through the water, and too much rudder just slows you down.

Regarding the wheel nut:  I recently purchased the special plastic 
wrench that Edson sells for this nut.  This let's you more easily remove 
the nut in an emergency if you've used lock-tite to secure the nut. 
Check with Edson to find out which grade of lock-tite to use.  You don't 
want to make this a permanent bond!  They provide a small tube of the 
right stuff in their steering maintenance kit.

Scott
Surprise, 653

Chris Burti wrote:
> I will add a couple of comments to Irv's for further clarity. It takes a
> little time for the boat to respond to the wheel in reverse at slow speed.
> In spite of all intuition to the contrary, turning the wheel hard over in
> reverse only slows the boat down (like a brake). Unlike when you are moving
> forward and the prop is pushing water across the rudder, turning the rudder
> over further will not add to the amount of turn after about 15-20 degrees.
> The slower the speed in reverse, the less responsive is the rudder.
> 
> Unless your charger wiring has been changed, it is wired directly to the
> batteries and bypasses the switch. This can be verified by observing the
> voltage meter which should show higher voltage when charging regardless of
> the switch position.
> 
> On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 6:48 AM, Irving Grunes <igrunes at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Brad,
>> 1. The snubber is standard on 2001 #851
>> 2. #851 Turning Radius seems fine
>> 3.Our wheel nut sometimes loosens up, but you want to be able to remove the
>> wheel quickly in case you need to use the emergency tiller. We just hand
>> tighten it from time to time.
>> 4.Most battery chargers will charge each battery separately.when the
>> charger
>> is turned on.
>> I do NOT suggest putting the batteries switch in to the BOTH position
>> unless
>> there is a need. That will just drag the good battery down to the lower
>> charged battery
>> 5. Ideling the engine only makes for carbon build up in the exhaust system.
>> The cooling system controls the max engine temperature.  Always race the
>> engine before shutting down for  FEW SECONDS TO BLOW ANY CARBON OUT..
>> DIESELS ARE MEANT TO BE RUN HARD.
>>
>> 6. Suggest finding a clear stretch of water and practice doing figure
>> eights
>> in reverse, in both directions.
>> That will give you confidence in controlling the boat. You must have some
>> speed up to control the C320 in reverse.
>> Good Luck on your new boat.
>> Irv Grunes
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 12:20 AM, Brad Kuether <bkuether at comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We (the family) took Independence out for our first sail.  It was blowing
>>> like snot, and we kept the genny reefed in around 130.  The boat handled
>>> exactly how I thought it would, maybe getting overpowered once or twice
>> but
>>> nothing drastic.
>>>
>>> The real adventure began when we tried to put the boat away, going dead
>>> downwind.   It took us three tries to get it into the slip and it wasn't
>>> pretty how we did it.
>>>
>>> The problem was that boat simply would not turn to port going backwards.
>>  I
>>> knew it wouldn't handle like my C&C did, but I mean it would NOT move at
>>> all.  And while I was trying I could only get 180 degrees on the wheel.
>>  It
>>> didn't seem right.
>>>
>>> So after the wife and kids left, I crawled down into the aft compartment.
>>>  The wire that keeps the radial drive wheel from over turning had a
>> rubber
>>> snubber on it, that basically took about 2 inches off the length of the
>>> wire.  I think this is what kept me from being able to steer into the
>> slip.
>>> So based on my first experience here are my questions...
>>>
>>>  1.. Is the snubber standard, or was it put on the by the PO?
>>>  2.. Can it be removed or is 40 degrees really what the turning radius
>> is?
>>>  3.. Has anyone had problems with the wheel getting loose?  (I tightend
>> the
>>> piece that hold the wheel on and it just got loose again. )
>>>  4.. If you plug the boat in will it charge the batteries and does the
>>> battery switch need to be in the on position for that to happen?.  (I
>> know
>>> RTFM, but I spent all my time diagnosing the steering!)
>>>  5.. Is there a temperature where the engine can safely be shutdown?
>>>  (3GM30) I have never had a gage just knew if I let it idle for 5 mins or
>> so
>>> it would be fine.  ( I know probably another RTFM)
>>> Thanks and I am sure I will have more questions after we go out more.....
>>>
>>> -Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
>>> "Independence"
>>> 2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
>>> Middle River, MD
>>>
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Scott Thompson
Surprise, #653