[C320-list] Steering Friction

[surprise thompson87.com]

I also have a 1999 boat. Before I got rid of my wheel pilot and replaced it with a below deck linear drive pilot I found that the wheel pilot itself was adding a lot of friction. You might try removing it temporarily to see if it is adding friction. Also, be sure to flush out the interior regularly as dirt and salt in the wheel pilot can make the friction worse. If your 1999 boat has the original wheel pilot there is a good chance that wear and tear have made friction problems worse. With the linear drive on standby my wheel turns effortlessly in light air. It’s as if there is no pilot at all. And it handles stronger winds much better than the wheel pilot. Best upgrade I ever made. 

> On Oct 16, 2023, at 2:41 PM, Dennis Cookson via C320-list <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> wrote:
> 
> I replaced the helm wheel chain and cable on our 1999 boat a year or two ago, and have tinkered with the cable tension since to optimise control and sensitivity without over-tightening as per the Edson guide, but I’m not completely satisfied with it. In light winds the helm wheel rotates fairly smoothly, though with a slight load, but in stronger winds when the boat is heeling I find that the wheel is much stiffer in one direction than the other and requires more effort than the wheel auto helm can reliably provide.  Is this normal? I guess that there is friction in the rudder post and sleeve - should it be lubricated, and if so, how?  Or could the bearings for the helm wheel shaft need replacement?
> 
> How does your boat handle with 15 knots of wind and above?  Any comments/advice much appreciated.
> 
> Dennis Cookson
> Catalina 0577