[C320-list] Emergency Tiller!!?!

[Ken Danko]

I have actually lost my steering twice and had to use the emergency 
tiller in both cases. I agree that it is not easy to use. But when the 
pressure was on and I had to get Grace out of the shipping lane, I 
managed to do so with the emergency tiller. The trick is to get used to 
the very small movements of the tiller necessary to steer. Over-steering 
is very easy with the tiller, and very hard to correct.

I want to second the idea that the cables need to be inspected 
regularly. Unfortunately, to inspect them completely they need to be 
removed from the quadrant. I had a catastrophic cable failure. Pictures 
of the broken cable are on the 320 web site so that others know where to 
look for wear.

Ken Danko
Grace, San Francisco



On 2/9/12 7:08 AM, Jeff Hare wrote:
> I tried to use the emergency tiller once and pretty much determined that I would not be successful steering the boat with it unless I was on glass smooth seas going straight ahead.
>
> The angles, the short tube, lack of leverage on our huge rudder make it mostly useless. Certainly any seas that might cause you to lose your steering would be unmanagable with the e-tiller.
>
> I think it is a check box required item only. Nobody apparently said it had to be functional.
>
> My opinion only.
> Jeff
>
> Amiraults Family<amiraults at sympatico.ca>  wrote:
>
> All:
>
>
>
> Thank you. Once the cover comes off in the spring I will empty lockers until
> I find it, or confirm that I lack this item. In the latter event, I WILL
> contact Catalina for a new one. The more I think on it the more I see the
> need.
>
>
>
> Brian
>
> 797 Waltzing Bear, too
>
>