stiff wheel steering

Rxsail

.
Mar 25, 2018
28
Hunter 30T Lake Norman
My steering just became very stiff, almost like the brake is on. It moves fairly easily 10 or so degrees in either way and then becomes very stiff. A month or so ago I lubricated everything per Edison instructions, but nothing else has changed. The cables seem tensioned fine. Last week it was fine, just sat in the slip since then. Any help would be appreciated.
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,085
Currently Boatless Okinawa
We had this happen in April, and it was the (failing) belt in the wheel drive autopilot. I only figured it out after eliminating the entire steering system. Search my posts for the thread. Keywords would be "Simrad WP30".
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Check the rudder stuffing box where the shaft exits the hull (if there is one, not all boats have one). I had one seize to the shaft once, and it was twisting the hose that connected it to the hull. Only a matter of time til the hose failed and sunk the boat.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,410
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Lake Norman has no zebra mussels. If you cannot Figure this out st least you have an excellent sailboat repair man on lake Norman outside of Charlotte. His name is Tim McRorie at All Seasons who runs the repair yard. I have known him for over 35 years and all hunters and Catalina’s were commissioned and serviced by Tim
 

FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
482
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
Lake Norman has no zebra mussels. If you cannot Figure this out st least you have an excellent sailboat repair man on lake Norman outside of Charlotte. His name is Tim McRorie at All Seasons who runs the repair yard. I have known him for over 35 years and all hunters and Catalina’s were commissioned and serviced by Tim
HE'S BACK!!!
 
Jun 4, 2004
255
Hunter 376 Annapolis MD
Do you have an autopilot? I had a similar problem after a winter on the hard. I determined that the yard people had engaged the lever for the autopilot belt for some reason when they hauled the boat in the Fall, and left it engaged.
allan
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,778
Catalina 30 Mk II Cedar Creek, Bayville NJ
A bad belt on the AP caused a lot of binding on my Edson pedestal wheel. Boat was new to me so I was expecting the worse until I changed the drive to a new one from the EV-100 kit I'm installing.
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
Lake Norman has no zebra mussels. If you cannot Figure this out st least you have an excellent sailboat repair man on lake Norman outside of Charlotte. His name is Tim McRorie at All Seasons who runs the repair yard. I have known him for over 35 years and all hunters and Catalina’s were commissioned and serviced by Tim
I've never been more delighted to be corrected by someone on this forum!
Welcome back, Crazy Dave!!