[MHml] hydraulic steering

[Michael Cope]

It so happens that in addition to the Catana 431 I have a F24.  I would not 
want hydraulic steering in my F24, nor would I want it in a F39, as I 
prefer the feel of a tiller for an F-Boat.  I haven't been on a F39 but 
have sailed a F31.  The Catana, with two helm stations and with a totally 
different boat useage, benefits greatly from hydraulic steering on many 
accounts, and the loss of feel is something I initially didn't like but 
have gotten used to.  I think of my Catana as a large Mercedes highway 
cruiser and my F24 as a BMW boxer sports car.... a different set of 
compromises.   And my posting was not really about hydraulic steering but 
rather the reliability of hydraulics in general when considering it for 
auxiliary powering.

Michael Cope

>Message: 2
>Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:17:17 +0100
>From: "Henny van Oortmarssen" <henny at fram.nl>
>Subject: [MHml] hydraulic steering
>To: "Informed discussion of multihull issues"
>         <multihulls at steamradio.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>         reply-type=original
>
>The message from Michael Cope remembered me a question that I since long
>want to ask. I am building a Farrier F39 trimaran as a cruiser/racer, in
>cruising mode steered by a NKE autopilot with hydraulic drive. I've sailed a
>F36 with the same autopilot and helmsteering. I was a little dissapointed
>(at the same time impressed by this great autopilot device) about the
>feeling in the tiller, as one also moves the oil around at the cost of
>helmfeeling. Of course one can disconnect the hydraulic drive, but that's
>too much of a hassle for me. I will probably go for wheel steering and the
>combination with the NKE hydraulic pilot is asking for a total hydraulic
>steering system. But I'm afraid about the fact I will loose all the feeling.
>But I think a steering system with cables or rods while moving the oil
>around in the autopilot drive is not any better in that regard. What do you
>think? (no wheel experience, only tillers in my previous boats)
>
>Henny van Oortmarssen
>www.fram.nl