[C320-list] Fwd: Wheel Steering Safety Notice

[Larry Frank]

I agree with the inspection approach but want to add the following
information.  I do know of a Catalina 36 that almost had their steering
fail because of this problem.  What was really problematic was that they
were in an offshore race at night in 4-6 foot seas and 20 miles from an
inlet.  This is not a situation to depend on the emergency tiller as your
backup.  What happened is that they noticed the sudden development of
groaning noises as they helmed the boat.  Upon inspection they found the
plate in question beginning to flex and buckle due to the loose of
material due to corrosion.  They were able to limp into port and had to
have the plate replaced with a new one supplied from Edison. This was
several years ago and I do not remember all of the details but I recall
the new plate from Edison was a different material.  At this time I was
told by the owner that it was a dissimilar metals problem and I believe
the explanation is that there were dissimilar metals and seawater present
resulting in galvanic corrosion.  I can see Edison saying it was a leakage
problem because if you did not have any moisture present dissimilar metals
would not corrode. Because our boats are always in a wet or moist
environment the use of dissimilar metals in direct electrical contact
should always be avoided.

Larry
WindSwept
C320 #246
  

On 7/24/15, 11:28 AM, "Rick Sulewski" <rsulewski at bex.net> wrote:

>Steve,
>Perhaps periodic inspections is the inoculation against ambulance chasing
>lawyers......If I am not mistaken have not learned of a single documented
>instance where a 320 has had the corrosive idler  issue since joining the
>C 320 Association list serve.  Also, isn't the " perceived problem" more
>likely to be more of a saltwater issue  that is completely avoidable if
>the recommended inspection schedule is followed?
>Rick
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On
>Behalf Of Steve Turbis
>Sent: Friday, July 24, 2015 11:50 AM
>To: C320-List at catalina320.com
>Subject: Re: [C320-list] Fwd: Wheel Steering Safety Notice
>
>This is serious! What has the manufacturer said about this problem. Do
>they stand behind their manufacturing defect or are they waiting for a
>class action suit? My lawyer would love this should anything go wrong on
>my boat and it is caused by a disastrous defect that Catalina recognized
>but did nothing about it. Steve Turbis
>
>On Friday, July 24, 2015, tharrison at innovations-plus.com <
>tharrison at innovations-plus.com> wrote:
>
>> FYI folks
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> > From: Catalina Direct <cd3 at catalinadirect.com <javascript:;>>
>> > Date: July 23, 2015 at 11:25:42 PM EDT
>> > To: Ted <tharrison at innovations-plus.com <javascript:;>>
>> > Subject: Wheel Steering Safety Notice
>> > Reply-To: Catalina Direct <cd3 at catalinadirect.com <javascript:;>>
>> >
>> >
>> > If your boat was built with a stock mild steel bracket, please
>> > consider
>> making the upgrade to one of our stronger, safer aluminum replacements.
>> > Is this email not displaying correctly?
>> > View it in your browser.
>> >
>> > Cross Wire Idler
>> >
>> >
>> > The thin mild steel plate can corrode to the point of failure.
>> >
>> > Form vs. Function
>> > Many of the parts we carry are impressive in both form and function.
>> They help your boat operate smoothly and look great at the same time.
>> However, we also carry parts that are hidden from view but which are
>> absolutely essential to the functioning of your boat.
>> >
>> >
>> > Though seldom seen, the cross wire idler is vital to the steering of
>> your boat
>> >
>> > A Hidden Workhorse
>> > The adjustable cross wire idler is one of the latter. It is mounted
>> underneath the steering pedestal which means it is seldom thought of
>> and almost never seen. However, this part is vital to your steering
>>assembly.
>> It leads your steering cable from its vertical run within the pedestal
>> to a horizontal run under the cockpit, then aft to the radial drive
>> wheel on the rudder shaft (see drawing below). Failure of this part
>> would be disastrous, as it would compromise control of your boat.
>> >
>> > The factory supplied assembly had a mounting frame fabricated from
>> > mild
>> steel. This steel assembly was attached to the aluminum pedestal with
>> aluminum mounting bolts. This combination of dissimilar metals led to
>> serious corrosion of all of the components, making them weaker and
>> more prone to failure.
>> >
>> >
>> > The cross wire idler (highlighted in blue) is mounted beneath the
>> > pedestal
>> >
>> > Robust Replacement
>> > Depending upon which Catalina model you own, we have several
>> > different
>> retrofit parts available that fix this problem. They replace the mild
>> steel plate with a machined aluminum frame that is compatible with the
>> other aluminum components of the system. This eliminates galvanic
>> corrosion keeping your steering assembly strong and reliable even in
>> the most violent of seas.
>> >
>> > We highly recommend this upgrade to protect you against the sudden
>> > loss
>> of steering. The most important time to have reliable steering is in
>> times of high stress. Unfortunately it is during these times that the
>> corroded plate on your original assembly is most likely to fail. The
>> old mild steel design was used on the Catalina 27, Catalina 270,
>> Catalina 310, Catalina 320, Catalina 34, Catalina 36, and Catalina 42.
>> >
>> > Depending upon your model choose one of the three different cross
>> > wire
>> idler assemblies we offer. For the Catalina 27 (when equipped with an
>> inboard engine), Catalina 270, 310, 320, 34 and 36, choose #Z3102. If
>> you own a Catalina 28 or 30, explore additional detailed information
>> found here. For Catalina 42 owners, choose #T2007.
>> >
>> > If your boat was built with a stock mild steel bracket, please
>> > consider
>> making the upgrade to one of our stronger, safer aluminum replacements.
>> >
>> > To make this peace-of-mind upgrade today, call our staff at
>> 1-800-959-7245, or visit our website at www.catalinadirect.com.
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>> > Copyright © 2015 Catalina Direct, All rights reserved.
>> > You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or
>> > over
>> the phone.
>> > Our mailing address is:
>> > Catalina Direct
>> > 10210 Systems Pkwy #390
>> > Sacramento, Ca 95827
>> >
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>>
>
>
>--
>Sent from Gmail Mobile
>