I was out for a day sail on Tuesday with two friends. As we returned to the marina with sails furled and flaked, I shifted into neutral to lose some speed. Surprise! Nothing happened. Happily we were still far enough out that I could circle into open water and investigate with the transmission stuck in forward. The cable linking the control on the steering pedestal to the transmission had broken. We ended up attaching a pair of vice grips to the shifter on the transmission. One of my friends manually shifted gears as I called down instructions to him from the helm, and we returned to the slip without further incident. Had we discovered the problem two minutes later, we would have had a significant encounter with the dock at the end of my slip. I'm glad I wasn't singlehanding on Tuesday. And it's a strong endorsement of a practice to test reverse gear before returning to the dock! Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H375
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Gary, same thing happened to me on our...
P42 a few months after we purchased her and coming back from a cruise. I'm coasting into our slip at Semiahmoo in neutral. Just as we kissed the slip I put it in reverse to stop the boat's movement. Then as I put it back into neutral the shift lever snaps from the cable at the clevis. Fortunately, it broke just as it came out of gear. It could have been much worse. Terry
P42 a few months after we purchased her and coming back from a cruise. I'm coasting into our slip at Semiahmoo in neutral. Just as we kissed the slip I put it in reverse to stop the boat's movement. Then as I put it back into neutral the shift lever snaps from the cable at the clevis. Fortunately, it broke just as it came out of gear. It could have been much worse. Terry
No brakes
Not to worry Gary....you would have stopped sooner or later. But good advice nonetheless about testing reverse before heading into tight quarters. We've had an old saying in flying that pertains: "take-offs are optional but landings are mandatory." Be prepared.
Not to worry Gary....you would have stopped sooner or later. But good advice nonetheless about testing reverse before heading into tight quarters. We've had an old saying in flying that pertains: "take-offs are optional but landings are mandatory." Be prepared.
Friend Ran Into Me The Same Way...
...he was returning to his slip in his newly-splashed boat. Center cockpit 40'. As he turned into the finger, he tried to hit reverse. Nothing. He kept going, headed for the sea wall. The fuel shut off was below. He ran down and shut off the diesel, but still had too much headway. He turned into my slip and rode the edge of it into my (new) radar tower, the only casualty. In his case, the pin slipped out of the yoke. Heck of a way to meet someone who was to become a friend. We worked through the weekend to replace my tower to avoid an insurance claim. Good lesson. This is a pretty common thing. Have had several friends who had this happen. Regular inspections of throttle and shift linkage is a good thing. Seems to always be a problem at the engine side. RIck D.
...he was returning to his slip in his newly-splashed boat. Center cockpit 40'. As he turned into the finger, he tried to hit reverse. Nothing. He kept going, headed for the sea wall. The fuel shut off was below. He ran down and shut off the diesel, but still had too much headway. He turned into my slip and rode the edge of it into my (new) radar tower, the only casualty. In his case, the pin slipped out of the yoke. Heck of a way to meet someone who was to become a friend. We worked through the weekend to replace my tower to avoid an insurance claim. Good lesson. This is a pretty common thing. Have had several friends who had this happen. Regular inspections of throttle and shift linkage is a good thing. Seems to always be a problem at the engine side. RIck D.
Perhaps a useful tip.
Assume a situation where this problem happens and you are too far in to spin back out, but yet can kill the engine and are moving a prudent rate of speed. If you will rapidly swing the rudder a few times, lock to lock, it will dramatically slow you down...maybe enough to fend off successfully or minimize damage if not. I also use this trick when I have a little too much way on and just don't want to slam the tranny into reverse. Note that if you continue swinging, after a certain point, the sculling action will keep you moving forward sneaky-snake style. That too can be useful. I've used it to wiggle off of a sandbar where I was stuck lightly but still too much for the engine. FWIW, that was with a fin keel, I have my doubts as to whether it will also work with my current wing keel or with a full keel. Most of the old hands know this, yet I hope someone finds this tip helpful. Best Regards, cb
Assume a situation where this problem happens and you are too far in to spin back out, but yet can kill the engine and are moving a prudent rate of speed. If you will rapidly swing the rudder a few times, lock to lock, it will dramatically slow you down...maybe enough to fend off successfully or minimize damage if not. I also use this trick when I have a little too much way on and just don't want to slam the tranny into reverse. Note that if you continue swinging, after a certain point, the sculling action will keep you moving forward sneaky-snake style. That too can be useful. I've used it to wiggle off of a sandbar where I was stuck lightly but still too much for the engine. FWIW, that was with a fin keel, I have my doubts as to whether it will also work with my current wing keel or with a full keel. Most of the old hands know this, yet I hope someone finds this tip helpful. Best Regards, cb
There's always the popular and useful
Spring line. Even with some forward motion, if you can hook the aft dock cleat from a midships spring line, it will stop you. Of course, I recognize that not everyone has convenient two finger docks, some with piers, and tight quarters. But it is a good fallback and should be rigged to deploy whenever approaching a dock. Stu
Spring line. Even with some forward motion, if you can hook the aft dock cleat from a midships spring line, it will stop you. Of course, I recognize that not everyone has convenient two finger docks, some with piers, and tight quarters. But it is a good fallback and should be rigged to deploy whenever approaching a dock. Stu
Scary, but I've never had this happen on my boat
In trying to think of 'plan B', I come up blank. (besides the methods mentioned) Maybe the reason this hasn't happend when needing reverse on my boat, is that the cable pushes for reverse. Hard to break it when pushing. A back up 'B' plan would still be welcome but I'm at a loss. But this is the place. Somebody has one out there.
In trying to think of 'plan B', I come up blank. (besides the methods mentioned) Maybe the reason this hasn't happend when needing reverse on my boat, is that the cable pushes for reverse. Hard to break it when pushing. A back up 'B' plan would still be welcome but I'm at a loss. But this is the place. Somebody has one out there.
Of course, Scott!
Overall I'm extremely pleased with the boat. But of course I have a list. My favorite was a DC voltage problem that was to have been fixed before we took delivery. It appeared to have been fixed, but then the DC voltage nosedived once we were out on the water with the result that everything run through the DC breaker panel wasn't working properly unless we were on shore power and the battery charger was on. Once I got the boat home, I found that a 6 gauge ground wire that was supposed to connect a bus behind the battery swich to a negative terminal on a battery had the terminal lug removed, was capped in plastic, wrapped in tape, and was lying unconnected to anything under a bettery box. And this had been checked out and pronounced healthy by a "marine electrician". Go figure! I wasn't pleased. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H375
Overall I'm extremely pleased with the boat. But of course I have a list. My favorite was a DC voltage problem that was to have been fixed before we took delivery. It appeared to have been fixed, but then the DC voltage nosedived once we were out on the water with the result that everything run through the DC breaker panel wasn't working properly unless we were on shore power and the battery charger was on. Once I got the boat home, I found that a 6 gauge ground wire that was supposed to connect a bus behind the battery swich to a negative terminal on a battery had the terminal lug removed, was capped in plastic, wrapped in tape, and was lying unconnected to anything under a bettery box. And this had been checked out and pronounced healthy by a "marine electrician". Go figure! I wasn't pleased. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H375
Plan B
I doubt that it has happened to very many. But I suspect that the Plan B that I am about to suggest is your Plan A...as it is mine. Many of the boats I've owned or sailed over the years suffered from their association with unreliable engines. As a result, I find myself virtually unable to approach hard objects in restricted channels with any significant speed. If an engine quits when I am approching a dock, I prefer to be going slow enough to stop the boat with a hook, hand or by looping a sheet over a piling. As my boats have gotten heavier with time, my approch speed has also slowed. Hmmmmmm, that's curious...as I have gotten heavier with age my own speed has slowed as well...:0
I doubt that it has happened to very many. But I suspect that the Plan B that I am about to suggest is your Plan A...as it is mine. Many of the boats I've owned or sailed over the years suffered from their association with unreliable engines. As a result, I find myself virtually unable to approach hard objects in restricted channels with any significant speed. If an engine quits when I am approching a dock, I prefer to be going slow enough to stop the boat with a hook, hand or by looping a sheet over a piling. As my boats have gotten heavier with time, my approch speed has also slowed. Hmmmmmm, that's curious...as I have gotten heavier with age my own speed has slowed as well...:0
Broke the Shift Cable Twice
We broke the shift cable on our previous H37 twice. Both times while setting the Anchor, so not a real problem of running into anything. When you take down the pedestal, change both of the cables. The 37 and 37.5 has a lot of tight turns on the cables and after a few years they give way. Going from forward to reverse is where it normally breaks, since that is the pulling direction of the cable. Bill
We broke the shift cable on our previous H37 twice. Both times while setting the Anchor, so not a real problem of running into anything. When you take down the pedestal, change both of the cables. The 37 and 37.5 has a lot of tight turns on the cables and after a few years they give way. Going from forward to reverse is where it normally breaks, since that is the pulling direction of the cable. Bill
Maybe we have hit on something here 
Pun intended. The problems' common denominator, seems to be that the cable is set up to pull to engage reverse. Without being able to look at each setup here, perhaps a reversal of, or relocating the mounting system is something to look into. Maybe I don't need 'plan B'.
Pun intended.
The problems' common denominator, seems to be that the cable is set up to pull to engage reverse. Without being able to look at each setup here, perhaps a reversal of, or relocating the mounting system is something to look into. Maybe I don't need 'plan B'.
Reverse was Down *yks
Last summer I was crewing on a friend's 33.5 up in Maine. I assumed (I know, I know) that it was the same as my L37. When I was forced into a lobster pot-dodging manuever, I tried to throw it into reverse and I thought it was already there - scary (I had taken over the helm while we were underway). Actually on my boat a few years ago, I has the throttle cable break. Fortunately, I was in a slip 40 miles from home. I had that yard fix it. Two years later I was skeptical about my shift cable and had my yard replace both of them with Vetus cables. They are bigger (thicker), hold the throttle in place (no slippage) and I have much more confidence in them. And yes, they have a lot of twists and turns making their way down the pedestal, back to the quadrant well, through the stbd wall, down to the bed, under the bed and forward to the engine compartment.
Last summer I was crewing on a friend's 33.5 up in Maine. I assumed (I know, I know) that it was the same as my L37. When I was forced into a lobster pot-dodging manuever, I tried to throw it into reverse and I thought it was already there - scary (I had taken over the helm while we were underway). Actually on my boat a few years ago, I has the throttle cable break. Fortunately, I was in a slip 40 miles from home. I had that yard fix it. Two years later I was skeptical about my shift cable and had my yard replace both of them with Vetus cables. They are bigger (thicker), hold the throttle in place (no slippage) and I have much more confidence in them. And yes, they have a lot of twists and turns making their way down the pedestal, back to the quadrant well, through the stbd wall, down to the bed, under the bed and forward to the engine compartment.
I always like the Motto
"The speed at which you approach the dock should be at the speed you don't mind hitting it" I usually start coasting 1/2 way down my fairway, I rarely have it in gear and then throw it into reverse the last second. If anything I have to throw it back into forward a little to keep the speed up. Another saying I tell everyone that helms the boat into the slip "Neutral is your Friend" . Too many boaters feel they have to power into forward and then reverse and then forward. I've seen way more problems with boats docking by doing that than by not having any speed and coasting. Now if I was in Forward and the clevis pin fell out when I throw it into Neutral - well then I would reach right down and pull the "Kill Engine" lever thats right at the helm. (BTW. That is where a boat manufacturer should be putting it. I don't see the philoshophy of placing the "Kill Engine" lever somewhere out of reach from the helm. I think that is ridiculous)
"The speed at which you approach the dock should be at the speed you don't mind hitting it" I usually start coasting 1/2 way down my fairway, I rarely have it in gear and then throw it into reverse the last second. If anything I have to throw it back into forward a little to keep the speed up. Another saying I tell everyone that helms the boat into the slip "Neutral is your Friend" . Too many boaters feel they have to power into forward and then reverse and then forward. I've seen way more problems with boats docking by doing that than by not having any speed and coasting. Now if I was in Forward and the clevis pin fell out when I throw it into Neutral - well then I would reach right down and pull the "Kill Engine" lever thats right at the helm. (BTW. That is where a boat manufacturer should be putting it. I don't see the philoshophy of placing the "Kill Engine" lever somewhere out of reach from the helm. I think that is ridiculous)
Oday 272 LE cable broke going into
reverse two days ago at the clevis at the control head ... But let me say I am not impressed with Edson ... to replace the cable on a 15 year old boat it is a real hassle. 1. first the compass comes out. 2. second the four bolts that hold the engine control ring use a slotted round head that pretty much takes a 16 in. screw driver to get to .. 3. those stainless bolts corrode into the AL housing and all you do is destroy the slots trying to get them out .. give me a real bolt that I can fit a socket to. 5. Dremel with a cut off disk is great for cutting those bolts. 6. you have to undo the throttle linkage nut on the outside of the pedestal ... that is easy. 7. you have to undo that cable holder and then try to push it and the attached two cables up and through the top of the pedestal right by the steering chain. which is a feat in itself and is impossible to do alone. 8. you then can measure the cable that broke and order it. Next week I see if I can remember how to put it all back together. Vic
reverse two days ago at the clevis at the control head ... But let me say I am not impressed with Edson ... to replace the cable on a 15 year old boat it is a real hassle. 1. first the compass comes out. 2. second the four bolts that hold the engine control ring use a slotted round head that pretty much takes a 16 in. screw driver to get to .. 3. those stainless bolts corrode into the AL housing and all you do is destroy the slots trying to get them out .. give me a real bolt that I can fit a socket to. 5. Dremel with a cut off disk is great for cutting those bolts. 6. you have to undo the throttle linkage nut on the outside of the pedestal ... that is easy. 7. you have to undo that cable holder and then try to push it and the attached two cables up and through the top of the pedestal right by the steering chain. which is a feat in itself and is impossible to do alone. 8. you then can measure the cable that broke and order it. Next week I see if I can remember how to put it all back together. Vic
springline as a safety
Stu's idea is a really good one! we leave a springline attached to the dock (outer end) with an eye hanging from a dockcatcher at deck height-as we motor in at idle, you can just drop the eye on your midships cleat and it snugs the boat into the dock-or stops you if you lose your brakes. I use it singlehanding-as it pulls the boat into the dock, i can hop off and secure my sternline without help
Stu's idea is a really good one! we leave a springline attached to the dock (outer end) with an eye hanging from a dockcatcher at deck height-as we motor in at idle, you can just drop the eye on your midships cleat and it snugs the boat into the dock-or stops you if you lose your brakes. I use it singlehanding-as it pulls the boat into the dock, i can hop off and secure my sternline without help
Vic Seven - re Compass Bolts
Vic - with regard to the problem compass bolts that are difficult to remove there are two options that can be used - preferably before the old ones get siezed. 1. Use something like Lanocote or an anti-seze compound, or, 2. Edson has special compass bolts for this purpose, order #817-1 or #817-3.5. See their web site at http://www.edsonmarine.com/sailboat/pdf/43.pdf The bolts have a special coating on them to prevent siezing. I replaced my old stainless bolts just before they reached the un-removeable point so I lucked out. To avoid all the extra work and expense, hopefully skippers will check their bolts before they get to the point your's got to.
Vic - with regard to the problem compass bolts that are difficult to remove there are two options that can be used - preferably before the old ones get siezed. 1. Use something like Lanocote or an anti-seze compound, or, 2. Edson has special compass bolts for this purpose, order #817-1 or #817-3.5. See their web site at http://www.edsonmarine.com/sailboat/pdf/43.pdf The bolts have a special coating on them to prevent siezing. I replaced my old stainless bolts just before they reached the un-removeable point so I lucked out. To avoid all the extra work and expense, hopefully skippers will check their bolts before they get to the point your's got to.
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