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I just lauched our boat after repairing the steering rack that failed last season.. backed the boat off the trailer..onto the dock..went to leave the dock.. and noticed when I turned left..the boat went right!!!!

I freaking put the rack in backwards! Well i should say I put the rack on the wrong side of the pinion! Grabbed a mooring.. and started on the fastest steering rack R+R in history - it is getting freaking cold out..wind is blowing.. losing daylight..

The club (north east trailer sailors) is having a rendezvous here tomorrow.. i HAVE to finish...wheeeeew.. I did.. time to spare.. thank goodness I had all the tools..

oh btw.. a spark plug socket can remove the steering wheel nut My kit didnt have a socket big enough.. but the spark plug socket fit..well enough to catch the flats of the nut!

OMG.. it was a riot (I can laugh about it now) but was flipping out trying to steer in a mooring field with the steering reversed!!

SOOOOO if you are going to do this job (replace the steering rack) there IS a right and wrong way it goes it and will work both ways!! Sooo watch out!

Paul

it will still work!!!!! sell it to an auzie

Made it easy backing up.

Paul - did you consider driving the boat with the steering reversed? I know that sounds like Chap 1 in a Gothic Sail Accident Novel but wonder if you considered that option.

I was so used to a tiller that when I got my Mac I often steared the other direction. I still do sometimes.

Mike Inmon...does this sound familiar...LOL

Paul S wrote: !

OMG.. it was a riot (I can laugh about it now) but was flipping out trying to steer in a mooring field with the steering reversed!!


Paul

Geez,don't we already have enough trouble trying to keep out of each others way?

well did you hear that I hit a powerline at Allen Harbor this weekend? Harry was guiding me into a parking spot to derig..and apparently he has bad depth perception or something.. fried one of the upper shrouds and cinged the mast! I have to put the mast up to ensure the lights on the mast still work. Everything else still works though..wheeew close one!

Had a similar thing happen on our old boat. Freakiest thing in the world to have the steering reversed. Really messes with your mind.

--Russ

Next time, grab the bottom of the steering wheel and move your arm the direction you want to go. Doesn't take too long to get used to it but you must grab the bottom of the wheel. Its the same way we first learn wheel steering but we grab the top of the wheel.
Learned this trick when teaching people to back up a vehicle.

Trouts Dream wrote:Next time, grab the bottom of the steering wheel and move your arm the direction you want to go..
Learned this trick when teaching people to back up a vehicle.

Or a trailer?

Rick

Paul S wrote:well did you hear that I hit a powerline at Allen Harbor this weekend? Harry was guiding me into a parking spot to derig..and apparently he has bad depth perception or something.. fried one of the upper shrouds and cinged the mast! I have to put the mast up to ensure the lights on the mast still work. Everything else still works though..wheeew close one!

The track record at Allen Harbor ain't lookin' too good!

I just had an upper shroud made at BWY. They were pretty fast.