Boating USA — March 2018

(Jacob Rumans) #1
MAKING WAVES///CAPT AI N’ S TE S T

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THE B

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CLAIM SERV

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CAPT AI N’ STE S T

Your boat’s steering system
is one of the most critical
systems on the boat; lose your
steering, you lose direction
— and in a diffi cult situation,
loss of steering could mean
catastrophic results. Let’s look
at some basic steering-system
knowledge. —John Tiger
(Answers on page 22)

STEERING


SYSTEMS


PHOTO: COURTESY WEST MARINE

1 .What should you do
to a hydraulic steering
system at least once
per season?
A. Drain all hydraulic
fluid and refill with
fresh.
B. Remove old
hydraulic hoses
and replace with
new ones.
C. Check the system
for air, and bleed
out excess air bub-
bles if necessary.
D. Check the system
for binding, cor-
rosion and fluid
leaks.
E. A and B.
F. C and D.

2 .What should you do
to any steering system
as part of annual
maintenance?
A. Nothing, it needs
no maintenance.
B. Lubricate any
grease fittings.
C. Remove the system
from the boat for
storage.
D. Check for leaking

hydraulic fluid,
leaking fittings,
corrosion or
binding; top off
fluid and bleed any
excess air.
E. A and C.
F. B and D.

3 .High-performance
offshore-type steering
systems typically use
wing plates to attach
hydraulic steering rams
to the drive or outboard.
Why do they do this as
opposed to attaching
the hydraulic ram to the
standard steering arm at
the front of the engine/
drive unit?
A. To reduce the
chance for steer-
ing “slop”; by
attaching the ram
to a plate that’s
attached directly
to the drive or pow-
erhead, the move-
ment inherent in
the engine mounts
is eliminated,
making the system
faster to react and

more positive.
B. So the engine/drive
can tilt and trim
easier.
C. The engine/drive
can turn farther lock
to lock this way.
D. None of the above.

4 .When you turn the
steering wheel to star-
board, which way should
the front of the engine or
drive turn?
A. To starboard.
B. To port.
C. Backward.
D. None of the above.

5 .What is the best type
of steering system for a
fast (60-plus mph) single
outboard V-hull?
A. A single push-pull
mechanical cable
system.
B. A dual-cable
mechanical
system.
C. A dual-cable,
no-feedback
mechanical system.
D. A high-performance
hydraulic system.
Free download pdf