Bavaria 36 Steering Cable Issue

[Bill_Giles]

I have been doing an annual inspection of the steering system of my Bavaria 36 yacht. The boat is about 13 years old and this has never been inspected before! I have found that in the pedestal the cable/chain run crosses over as shown in both the Bavaria handbook and the Whitlock installation pamphlet. I am somewhat troubled because where the cross over occurs there is rubbing between the two - sometimes (when the steering is central) between the cables, and when near full lock the chain and cable coincide. There are rubber sleeves over the cable - chain joints and these are worn where they touch the other cable. There is no evidence of wear on the cables themselves but I regard it as unsatisfactory that they should touch at all. Where the cables go down through the deck to the turning blocks they pass fairly centrally through the holes in the deck. Any advice would be helpful.

[Polux]

You are worried because you have to change rubber sleeves each 10 years?

Change the sleeves, get the system properly lubricated each year and inspect it regularly. Why do want to modify a system designed by specialists (Whitlock) that seems to work well?

[Bill_Giles]

Thanks for your comments, I don't want to change the system merely suspect that when the boat was built it probably did not do this. If this is true then something has caused it and maybe it is getting worse. Obviously now I know I can keep an eye on it as access is easy. Truly it was very dry so it will be lubricated.

[Polux]

I had a Bavaria 36 (2003 model) and I remember the cables crossed but can't remember if they touched or not.

You can have that information asking these guys:

Questions about a 2004 Bavaria 36

[roland stockham]

Unless the turning block are adjustable for height or have been removed at some point and spacers not put back it must have been built like that.

[Bill_Giles]

The turning blocks are below the deck in a very difficult place to reach. There are two and they are different sizes to, presumably, keep the cables apart. I would imagine that they are not adjustable but I guess that the mounting bolts could come loose. When I am next at the boat I will check. Although the Bavaria is built down to a price I find it hard to believe that German engineering would allow such obvious poor practice. I am hoping that some kind Bav 36 owner will take a look at theirs and tell me what they see. Must look around the Marina - there have to be lots of B36s around.