For Jan.

[Dave R1]

Jan, as promised, here are the close ups.

The horn is a piece of stainless steel scrap I found. The hole in the center is drilled just a little oversized for the bolt. The bolt, locking nut and washers (I should have drawn one between the nut and the bar) are all stainless as well. Make sure to put one under the head of the bolt, too.

The holes in the ends of the horn were drilled to accept a quick link which goes between the horn and the turnbuckle. A turnbuckle on each side allows the the cables to be tightened up without affecting the orientation of the wheel.

[Jan Williamson]

Very clever! Thanks Dave. Now I have to go out and look at my "rope system" :roll:

Sorry this took me so long to post. I had a mouse malfuction :x

[Dave R1]

Out of cheese?

[Tim Diebert]

Those renderings truly kill me Dave, outstanding.

[Dave R1]

Thanks Tim. I think this one has a long way to go. I'm debating whether or not to model the actual chain links and sprocket teeth.

I've done the entire Weekender keel and bitts. The rudder assembly was completed awhile ago for a study of a method for holding the rudder down while letting it kick up if needed. If I keep plugging away at it, I might end up with the entire boat!

[Jan Williamson]

Finally got my mouse to cough up the cheese. Rollers were full of it

[Tim Diebert]

Well, all good things Dave. Your craftsmanship is outstanding.

Someone has to give the stock steering system a major re-think.

I have read and heard way too many stories of these failures....many on first days sail. hugely disappointing.....and dangerous.

As I was discussing with someone not of this forum, the original builder and owner of my boat had his steering malfunction the first day out and ended up crashing into a log boom. This (and some other things) scared him enough to trade the boat to me.

The very first thing I did to that boat before my first sail was to 'tillerize' the thing.

When I read of Jans first day and the steering failure, it actually made me quite angry. This should not happen if you choose to build according to the stock plans.

And as long as I am winding up for a bit of a rant, I think the designers should have changed the plans a long time ago to either remove the wheel steering all together or to have re-engineered the design to at least be safe. A simple amendment to the stock plans would not be too out of the question I would think.

And to step on a few more toes even further (get ready to duck old chap), I think the wheel, and wheel steering of this design to be bordering on ridiculous. IMHO the wheel exists to sell plans and to catch plan buyers.

It is inefficiant and cumbersome and in some cases, unsafe. It exists to merely look good....assuming that some folks do enjoy the look the wheel brings to the boat.

Carry on with those amazing images.

Flame shield up. :2gunfire:

[Dave R1]

Tim, I agree to a point. The design of the steering systems has, in my opinion, some weak points that should be addressed. The stock steering shaft seems with the lag screw in the end seems like an accident waiting to happen. On the other hand, the Stevenson's have had success with it. It apparently works for them and I assume for some others.

The failure I had in my steering system had to do with a swivel-type-hardware-store-pot-metal pulley which broke under the strain. I launched in 20 plus kts.

In defense of the wheel steering in general, it does help to open up an already cramped cockpit in the Weekender. I have thought a tiller would be nice and might make it easier to singlehand the boat. It would allow me to sit farther forward in the cockpit. I had up to four adults (including me) in the cockpit of my tiny boat. In a case like that, a tiller would be bad.

[Jan Williamson]

I was happy with the way the wheel steered the boat before the tiller broke. I like the way it looks too. I didn't build strictly to plan though. Galvinized pipe for the column, thicker more airfoil shaped rudder (Barry), T.Nelson pulley system. I have to do somethng different though, which I am working on.

[P Doug (WA)]

Dave R1, Your pictures are great. Are you using Cad? I think you ought to do the whole boat, put it on disc and sell them.

[Dave R1]

P Doug, thank you. I'm not using CAD for this. I'm not smart enough to work most CAD software that I've tried. I do have the keel and bitts model with the same software. I'll probably add the hull one of these days.

How much would you pay for it? I'd be surprised if anyone wanted to buy it.

There is a free viewer available so that the drawing could be sent in its original file and the user could rotate and zoom the model to get a better look at it.

Dave