Beneteau 331 steering

Jun 6, 2021
2
Beneteau year 2003, 331 model Meaford
I found we had to cross the chain in the binnacle to have the steering wheel turn in the proper direction after our rudder was repaired.
I believe the people working on the boat installed the chain straight up and down without the cross causing me the grief.

Does this make sense?

It looks like the chains touch slightly since I crossed them.

Elyceum
 
Jun 8, 2004
3,004
Catalina 320 Dana Point
Makes sense to me, if the wires didn't cross the wheel would work backwards, it is usually the wires that I see on Catalinas as opposed to the chains. However I've never taken a Bene apart enough to know, perhaps more tension on the wires at the quadrant would remove any slack that may allow chains to touch. Note the instruction on this PDF from Edson to cross the wires.
https://edsonmarine.com/content/Sailboat DS/CATALINA 38 (S-936-1) D.pdf
 
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Likes: ggrizzard
Jan 11, 2014
13,964
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I found we had to cross the chain in the binnacle to have the steering wheel turn in the proper direction after our rudder was repaired.
I believe the people working on the boat installed the chain straight up and down without the cross causing me the grief.

Does this make sense?

It looks like the chains touch slightly since I crossed them.

Elyceum
Yes this is correct for most, if not all, cable steering attached to a quadrant in order for the wheel to work as it does in a car, i.e., turn the wheel to port and the boat turns to port.

If you follow the cables and watch as someone turns the wheel you will see why this is necessary. On a tiller steered boat the tiller is moved in the opposite direction of the turn, to turn to port the tiller is pushed to starboard. Hard to explain in words, easy to see in action.
 
Jan 25, 2007
366
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
Yes, it makes sense. I mentioned in another post about 'state of emergency tiller' about my repair. I failed to mentioned the first attempt I put it on backwards (easy to do) ...motored this way home, getting used to turning wheel left to go right/right to turn left..., fixed problem, but got so used to steering backwards..drove my truck into curb pulling out of marina.

**make sure cables are tight, the can slip between plate & pulley.