I have not put the rub rails on my boat yet (not looking forward to this part). Anyway, I see that the rudder/steering assembly needs to have a u-bolt through the hull side and through the rub rails. Has anyone tried any other approaches? I guess with the narrowness of the rub rails, I can't exactly use fender washers on the hull (to hide u-bolt under rub rail).Â
There's no reason you couldn't glue and screw (or through bolt) a cleat to the inside of the hull to bear the load of the U bolts. The fastener heads can be covered by the rub rail later in the build. This will hide the big 'ol bolt heads sticking through the rail. Naturally you'll want to seriously attach these cleats, because removal and replacement will be hampered by the rail once the boat is finished. So, think a length of 2x4 glued and screwed to accept the U bolts.
Perfect idea. That is similar to what I was thinking, but never thought of using a cleat. Great idea. Thanks. I can assure you there will be glue, screws, and the whole bit. Overbuild is in my nature. Thanks Paul! I do realize eventually I will be going to a tiller I am sure....
Jeff:
I installed some scrap pieces of 2X4 inside the hull to hold the U-Bolts for the steering mechanism myself since I also didn't want the ends of the bolts protruding from the sides.
I did have a problem though that you may want to think about. I pre-strung the pulleys for steering to these U-Bolts only to get resin in one of them which had to then be awkwardly twisted (broken) off of the U-Bolt and replaced with another pulley and 2 shackles so that it had the same twist - chewing up space on my tiller rope.
Whatever you use, make sure you can remove the pulleys in some fashion for repair-replacement. My deck hatch was a godsend for that - there's no way I would have gotten to them otherwise.
The other issue is adding tension to the steering rig. By design, you just tighten the U-Bolts. If they're concealed you can't do that. I used a turnbuckle instead which took up more length on the tiller rope and which also loosened itself and fell apart during my maiden launch. I'm thinking of switching to something else but haven't figured out what.
Andrew,
I can totally picture all of those things happening to me as well. Thanks for the heads up.
I did whatAndrew did: Using 2X4 mounted between the transom and lazarette,then added the U bolts. I can still get behind them to tighen them. I'm making my own blocks, but plan to use Harken blocks for the steering mechanism. Which ones are recommended?
Dave
      This was my sulution, I screwed a hasp from a gate latch set to the inside of the rub rail and used a quick spring link to the pulley, works great and is very easy to remove if and when I need to
How do you access the nuts on the u-bolts when it is installed into a 2x4? I am picturing the nut to be flush into the backside of the 2x4 (between the 2x4 and hull). ???? I was looking at harken blocks as well...but man, the cheapest appear to be around $30 a piece. Since I spent $75 on pintels and gudgeons, I am reluctant to blow another $60 or more dollars on the steering assembly.
Anyone use coated airline cable for the steering assebly instead of rope?
I was thinking of installing round inspection ports along the lazerette above the cockpit seats in addition to a square hatch in the lazerrette between the seats. Seems like you would need two hands though to do any type of repair or adjustment to the steering system, so I am not sure an inspection port would be that helpful if you can't get two hands in it. I'll have to look at the boat and see.
Cable steering has been used reliably for many decades in powerboats. Cable is the way to go unless you just want to have sloppy and continuously adjusted rope.
Ronstan blocks are a fair bit cheaper then Harkin.
A deck plate (inspection port) typically are available in 4, 6 and 8 inch sizes, which is handy if you need to look at something like a fuel tank sending unit, but don't think you'll be working through one.
For such a small boat, it sure has a complex steering system. If it was me and I was bent on a wheel, then I'd use cable and "tiller" rope fairleads, pulleys, clamps, etc. designed for powerboats.
Pergo part #'s 05605DP (swivel pulley), 1255DPOCHR (pulley) 1256DPOCHR (fairlead), 1226DPOCHR (cable clamp), 0732DPOCAD (spring tightener). The pulleys will accept up to 1/4" cable, which should be the vinyl coated 7x7 stainless tiller cable.
The spring loaded tensioner will keep it adjusted and the cables will not stretch or break. Adjusting the length of U bolts is a pretty Mickey Mouse way of doing things, particularly in light of self adjusting tension springs, ratchets and turnbuckle technology that's been around for quite some time now.
Thanks Paul. I will check into those options. I tell ya, when it comes to enclosed areas of the boat, I like to go the right way so I don't have to worry about problems.