Steering cable connection

[RoyB]

I have a 38 foot racer/cruiser - a Sydney 38. She has wheel steering. The wheel directly drives a sprocket with a short chain. The chain connects to vectran single brade lines at each end. The ends of the vectran lines have metal eyes spliced into it on each end. The other end of the metal eyes connects to the quadrant with some bolts / nuts.

The vectran line is connected to the chain by a multi-loop lashing made from what looks like small (about 3 mil) spectra single braid. There have been instances of steering failures on these boats. I suspect that the lashing may be the weak link.

I've been considering replacing the lashing with a stainless turnbuckle and a couple of shackles that would connect it to the vectran and the chain. Obviously I'd have to make sure that the turnbuckles fit with no interference or rubbing.

Can anyone think of any reasons why this would not be a good idea?

[RoyB]

Since posting the question I've received some info that makes sense.
Evidently the weak link in the steering system is that the Vectran strops that connect to the quadrant chafe against each other where they cross over. The conventional wisdom seems to be to replace the Vectran lines and the associated lashing every couple of years.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Sounds like there would be a problem with chafe no matter what material the cables were made of, and we have indeed found damage to wire cables, similarly configured. In some cases we have been able to eliminate the problem by moving one or both attachment points for one or both pieces, even very slightly. In other cases, the problem was that the cables were simply thicker than necessary; the manufacturer had built the system such that spec cables wouldn't touch, and therefore wouldn't chafe, but someone decided that bigger is better. It is very common for people to put in too-big HM when people switch from wire, as they don't quite trust the new stuff. What size is the rope? How is it terminated? What diameter are the clevis pins or shacle pins?
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[mrgnstrn]

A friend of mine has a Hunter Legend 43. While not the exact same setup, it has the two wires crossing before going to the quadrant (like your problem).
And it failed at one point (of course in-oppurtune time)

Since their steering wires run across a flat recess, they put a harken block #108 on the flat recess at the point where the two steering wires crossed to deflect one of the wires up about 1/2", just enough to prevent chafe, but not so much as to screw up the steering wire leading to the quadrant or from the wheel.

-M