Boats - different steering systems
Discussion
My Freeman had light steering and two turns lock to lock. This allowed for fast accurate manouvering. By contrast the Shetland - albeit 40% larger/heavier - has a notably stiffer steering which is FOUR turns lock to lock, making rapid steering inputs less possible. The Freeman had a simple ropes/pullies system whilst the Shetland has a Morse-type system, ie like Bowden cable. Is what I'm experiencing normal, and is it possible to change it for the more effective system?
My Sunseeker has extremely light steering. Not surprising given the fact the rudders are in the boot of the car. 
But back to yours, the morse itself should be light as a feather if the cables have been routed correctly. Some non morse steering helms have an adjustment to give a bit of tension so the propwash doesn't take the wheel out of your hand, but I would guess at yours being a no feedback morse. If so they are a little tighter but should still run quite freely.
Other than that the rudder stock bearings could well be tight being new, but they shouldn't be.
Easiest thing to do is just disconnect the tiller arm from the cable and see which side is giving the tightness.
And don't just go and shorten the tiller arm as the helm is stopped at 4.2 turns but your rudder probably isn't and you stand a chance of turning something past it's design capability.
Right that's the niceties out of the way, so proper set of pics please now that you've let the cat out of the bag or do you need us to get a photographer mate to come up and take some?
But back to yours, the morse itself should be light as a feather if the cables have been routed correctly. Some non morse steering helms have an adjustment to give a bit of tension so the propwash doesn't take the wheel out of your hand, but I would guess at yours being a no feedback morse. If so they are a little tighter but should still run quite freely.
Other than that the rudder stock bearings could well be tight being new, but they shouldn't be.
Easiest thing to do is just disconnect the tiller arm from the cable and see which side is giving the tightness.
And don't just go and shorten the tiller arm as the helm is stopped at 4.2 turns but your rudder probably isn't and you stand a chance of turning something past it's design capability.
Right that's the niceties out of the way, so proper set of pics please now that you've let the cat out of the bag or do you need us to get a photographer mate to come up and take some?
MOTORVATOR said:
Right that's the niceties out of the way, so proper set of pics please now that you've let the cat out of the bag or do you need us to get a photographer mate to come up and take some?
Actually I'm waiting for a boat mate first so I can work out which bits are OK and which bits are Shetland BS 
Steering-wise what I'd really like is two turns lock to lock and a lighter feel. As it is you tend to get lazy and use the thrusters rather than 'handbraking it in' (which also carries the risk of misjudging it and gouging the pristine sides...)
The launch was a bit of a scramble (three weeks late) and I suspect certain things have not been fitted/adjusted as well as they might... like the thermostat for the engine compartment being in the saloon...
Simpo Two said:
Actually I'm waiting for a boat mate first so I can work out which bits are OK and which bits are Shetland BS However in my defence I presently have a boat two thirds soda blasted as the spaceman didn't turn in on Saturday as promised, a shedload of gelcoat repairs to perform, a gearbox in Maidstone having unexpected open heart surgery, a broken pulpit from the yard running the bloody windfarm cat into it, a set of rudders in my boot awaiting the nice young lady to deem my parts important enough to put into production, a loan facility with the chandler who is pissed off with constantly sticking it through the till every five minutes, a grand's worth of epoxy / antifoul type stuff on order and no one interested in helping me apply the eight coats as they are off skiing with my money, all of my upholstery in the back of beyond being covered with something the wife dislikes even though she had no interest in making the choice, a single deepsea seal (Yes an EM9 which surprisingly fits a bleeding 50mm shaft) waiting on the dashboard to be fitted when it's mate arrives as it now turns out I need two new ones having destroyed the other in the panic surrounding the aforementioned gearbox heart attack, a new set of props on my living room floor as the old ones have decided to stay firmly welded to the shafts, a quote for a new set of anodes that I cannot complete on until the trading floor on zinc shares opens again on Monday to offset the costs, and a mate who thinks it is all quite amusing and maybe I should write a book about it all.
And breathe.
One thing you won't catch me doing though is posting about it on PH so the usual suspects can rip the piss.
20 year anniversary. No survey with recommendations carried out - no insurance.
Besides us offshore chaps can't just sink 'em, wade to the bank and walk home you know.
Plan to be back in the water end of next week with the underwater and running gear 100%, leaving just the topside paintwork and a new worktop to the kitchen to be done, oh and a set of liners and pistons to the slightly weak engine but that will all happen next year now.
Besides us offshore chaps can't just sink 'em, wade to the bank and walk home you know.
Plan to be back in the water end of next week with the underwater and running gear 100%, leaving just the topside paintwork and a new worktop to the kitchen to be done, oh and a set of liners and pistons to the slightly weak engine but that will all happen next year now.
Unfortunately not. And funds set aside for boat may have to be used for new business venture due to market forces…. which if successful will lead to bigger boat, or knowing my luck, I'll become a vagrant. So may just spend it on coke and hookers and when it runs out, just take a long walk of Beachy Head. Still trying to decide what's best to do. 
Simpers, re your lack of manoeuvrability, are you sure your rudder's big enough? I think iceberg season on the Ouse is over, but we don't want history repeating itself.
Simpers, re your lack of manoeuvrability, are you sure your rudder's big enough? I think iceberg season on the Ouse is over, but we don't want history repeating itself.
MOTORVATOR said:
Guilty.
However in my defence I presently have a boat two thirds soda blasted as the spaceman didn't turn in on Saturday as promised, a shedload of gelcoat repairs to perform, a gearbox in Maidstone having unexpected open heart surgery, a broken pulpit from the yard running the bloody windfarm cat into it, a set of rudders in my boot awaiting the nice young lady to deem my parts important enough to put into production, a loan facility with the chandler who is pissed off with constantly sticking it through the till every five minutes, a grand's worth of epoxy / antifoul type stuff on order and no one interested in helping me apply the eight coats as they are off skiing with my money, all of my upholstery in the back of beyond being covered with something the wife dislikes even though she had no interest in making the choice, a single deepsea seal (Yes an EM9 which surprisingly fits a bleeding 50mm shaft) waiting on the dashboard to be fitted when it's mate arrives as it now turns out I need two new ones having destroyed the other in the panic surrounding the aforementioned gearbox heart attack, a new set of props on my living room floor as the old ones have decided to stay firmly welded to the shafts, a quote for a new set of anodes that I cannot complete on until the trading floor on zinc shares opens again on Monday to offset the costs, and a mate who thinks it is all quite amusing and maybe I should write a book about it all.
And breathe.
One thing you won't catch me doing though is posting about it on PH so the usual suspects can rip the piss.
blimey and thats just the stuff you are telling us about..... I wonder how long the list really is?? However in my defence I presently have a boat two thirds soda blasted as the spaceman didn't turn in on Saturday as promised, a shedload of gelcoat repairs to perform, a gearbox in Maidstone having unexpected open heart surgery, a broken pulpit from the yard running the bloody windfarm cat into it, a set of rudders in my boot awaiting the nice young lady to deem my parts important enough to put into production, a loan facility with the chandler who is pissed off with constantly sticking it through the till every five minutes, a grand's worth of epoxy / antifoul type stuff on order and no one interested in helping me apply the eight coats as they are off skiing with my money, all of my upholstery in the back of beyond being covered with something the wife dislikes even though she had no interest in making the choice, a single deepsea seal (Yes an EM9 which surprisingly fits a bleeding 50mm shaft) waiting on the dashboard to be fitted when it's mate arrives as it now turns out I need two new ones having destroyed the other in the panic surrounding the aforementioned gearbox heart attack, a new set of props on my living room floor as the old ones have decided to stay firmly welded to the shafts, a quote for a new set of anodes that I cannot complete on until the trading floor on zinc shares opens again on Monday to offset the costs, and a mate who thinks it is all quite amusing and maybe I should write a book about it all.
And breathe.
One thing you won't catch me doing though is posting about it on PH so the usual suspects can rip the piss.
Trouble is Motorvator you are always relying on others due to your refusal to get your hands dirty, perhaps its time to roll your sleaves up and get royally stuck into it 
m0ssy said:
blimey and thats just the stuff you are telling us about..... I wonder how long the list really is?? Trouble is Motorvator you are always relying on others due to your refusal to get your hands dirty, perhaps its time to roll your sleaves up and get royally stuck into it
Cheeky b Trouble is Motorvator you are always relying on others due to your refusal to get your hands dirty, perhaps its time to roll your sleaves up and get royally stuck into it 
d, I'll have you know I've been getting stuck in. Even got a little bit of grease on my blazer the other day.No worries of course as I carry the spare white linen jacket in the locker so still felt comfortable at lunch.
Well I found something interesting under the cockpit floor today. A plastic container about the size of a small paint can with two lines marked HIGH and LOW on it. As the level was closer to LOW I peered more closely and it appears to be coolant...
I thought it was direct cooled by river water. Maybe I have indirect cooling? The paint tin is connected by hose to a big metal thing with lots of lumps and cables sticking out.
Quite a task on the Old West today battling strong and variable winds... you end up going sideways like those crosswind landings you see on YouTube. But I did manage to get the very expensive boat through the very narrow bridge made of very hard bricks without doing any modifications
I thought it was direct cooled by river water. Maybe I have indirect cooling? The paint tin is connected by hose to a big metal thing with lots of lumps and cables sticking out.
Quite a task on the Old West today battling strong and variable winds... you end up going sideways like those crosswind landings you see on YouTube. But I did manage to get the very expensive boat through the very narrow bridge made of very hard bricks without doing any modifications
MOTORVATOR said:
m0ssy said:
blimey and thats just the stuff you are telling us about..... I wonder how long the list really is?? Trouble is Motorvator you are always relying on others due to your refusal to get your hands dirty, perhaps its time to roll your sleaves up and get royally stuck into it
Cheeky b Trouble is Motorvator you are always relying on others due to your refusal to get your hands dirty, perhaps its time to roll your sleaves up and get royally stuck into it d, I'll have you know I've been getting stuck in. Even got a little bit of grease on my blazer the other day.No worries of course as I carry the spare white linen jacket in the locker so still felt comfortable at lunch.
Although you certainly have the boat to 'pull it off'
Simpo Two said:
Well I found something interesting under the cockpit floor today. A plastic container about the size of a small paint can with two lines marked HIGH and LOW on it. As the level was closer to LOW I peered more closely and it appears to be coolant...
I thought it was direct cooled by river water. Maybe I have indirect cooling? The paint tin is connected by hose to a big metal thing with lots of lumps and cables sticking out.
Quite a task on the Old West today battling strong and variable winds... you end up going sideways like those crosswind landings you see on YouTube. But I did manage to get the very expensive boat through the very narrow bridge made of very hard bricks without doing any modifications
Whilst you have posted absolutely zero information, I shall hazard a wild guess at the engine being a Yanmar 3JH5E, which is indeed indirect cooling. I thought it was direct cooled by river water. Maybe I have indirect cooling? The paint tin is connected by hose to a big metal thing with lots of lumps and cables sticking out.
Quite a task on the Old West today battling strong and variable winds... you end up going sideways like those crosswind landings you see on YouTube. But I did manage to get the very expensive boat through the very narrow bridge made of very hard bricks without doing any modifications
I think you'll find the big metal thingy is what the more mechanical types here refer to as a heat exchanger and the paint pot is probably an afterthought by Mr Shetland (careful with the spelling) as he was confused as to it not having anywhere obvious to put the water in, rather than the rad cap on top of course.
Whilst not an expert on these engines I am going to stick my neck out and say that paint pot should be maintained between the low and high marks, preferably with something wet.
There's something you should do regularly to that bronze thingy as well but I'm damned if I can remember what at the moment.
HTH
Has it got a 710 hole as well? I've heard that is state of the art stuff but should only be touched by your engineer.
And how can a boat with forward / reverse / nose left / nose right / arse left / arse right controls not to mention a warm and cuddly engine compartment in artic conditions possibly struggle with going sideways?
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