Spectra replacement for steering cables?
 

I've got an Edson steering pedestal, with a few links of "motorcycle chain" over the gear on the wheel and lengths of SS cable going down and through turning blocks to the quadrant. The cable has got a meathook or two, and I'd like to replace it soon.

I've had so much fun making soft shackles that I would rather use some sort of HM line, like Amsteel as a replacement for the SS cable.

I think it has shackles to attach it to the chain inside, although I've not looked at it in a while, so I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure that I could either splice an eye onto it or hitch the splice over it. The other end is terminated to ring bolts on the quadrant, and I can do the same there.

I figure I would need to make sure all the blocks are nice and smooth. Are there other pitfalls I should watch out for?

I would say no, there is no cost or weight savings and your steering is at the top of the critical components list. All of the shivs will be made for wire not line as well, on a steering system there are only small sections of the rode that see wear this is a application very suited to ss wire.

My 2$

Jake

Whimsy,

I have switched on my boat, and other than one sheave that was damaged when the cable started fish hooking I didn't change anything.

I just eye spliced the line onto the system, and was off. While I didn't imagine any performance gain the wheel feels lighter and more responsive, but that could also just be in my head, it is a subtle difference.

Yes, but...
 

Hi,
I like the idea, but have used Vectran, not Spectra. Spectra is too vulnerable to melting (think lightning strikes or boat fires), and Vectran doesn't creep the way Spectra does.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

Well in proper lazy cruiser form I put off this job until a ateering cable failed, but now I'm doing it.

The chain inside the pedestal has a shackle "built in" to the last link, so I'm going to do an eye splice with a SS thimble on that end pretty similar to the old swaged eye.

The quadrant end is the adjustment end. I've got ring bolts, that go through the quadrant, and they have pretty limited adjustment range. I'm trying to decide how to terminate the vectran to the eyes:

• Luggage tag hitch a spliced eye. This requires that I get the length "just about right"
• Spliced eye with a thimble a bit short and a lashing for coarse adjustment and the bolt for fine adjustment and centering
• Leave a rope tail and tie a knot. (What knot? Perhaps an anchor bend or a scaffold hitch?) Will that hold well in 12-plait vectran?

Amy recommendations?