RYA safety bulletin

[Cookee]

Just got this from the RYA obvioously as a result of Brian and Pat Peedells little incident last year!

Following the reported sudden failure of the Cable steering on the Class 3 boat C13 which resulted in both driver & navigator being hospitalised in August 2007 the Safety & Technical Committee {SAT} have strongly recommended that all Class 3 offshore boats with engine sizes over 90 HP be converted to hydraulic steering as matter of urgency !.



Request to Class 3 Clubs



Current steering requirements for Class 3 boats appears to only be covered by PB1/E9 General Rules with no specific references in club requirements section “G” on steering!

SAT request an agreement from Class 3 that throughout 2008 they will promote this recommendation to phase out cable steering with the objective that this becomes a Mandatory change requirement for PB1 2009.



SAT requests that Class 3 add “Steering requirements “as a specific club rule for the PB1/ 2008 revision to promote to its members this concern & change requirement for 2009!



SAT requests that Class 3 boat owners with cable steering very closely examine the condition of their steering & replace any components including the cables if there is any doubts as to its age & /or condition.



Instruction to event Scrutineers for 2008.



Scrutineers are instructed to pay specific attention to the condition of cable steering components on any class of offshore boats running in the 2008 season. Careful attention must be made to cables looking out for corrosion or signs of fraying or stretching whilst ascertaining where practicable the age of the cables used & recommend that if it is more than 3 years old it should be replaced.



If there is any doubt to the serviceability of cable steering the scrutineer must not pass the equipment suitable to race unless the required corrective actions have been addressed. In the event of a dispute refer to the OOD & Safety Officer for support!



In all cases where Cable steering is fitted the senior scrutineer must examine the steering components irrespective of a previous examination by another scrutineer.



RYA Office

[Jon Fuller]

Thats interesting.

When in good condition, cable steering is excellent, has no 'creep' and is cheap. Obviously a rotten, or poorly maintained wire system is dangerous, but what happens when someones hydraulic steering fails for some reason, will hydraulic then be banned and deemed unsafe?

I understand the concern, but it feels a bit 'nanny state' to me.

They'll be telling you what colour underpants you have to wear next.

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Thats interesting.

but what happens when someones hydraulic steering fails for some reason, will hydraulic then be banned and deemed unsafe?

Tiller

[Woody]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Thats interesting.

I understand the concern, but it feels a bit 'nanny state' to me.

They'll be telling you what colour underpants you have to wear next.

No Jon it sounds more like renewal of the liability policy is due soon so we must show underwriters that we are doing everything to mitigate losses and show that we are pro active in our approach to risk management, and whilst we are in a soft market as far as insurance is concerned get our premium down this year and pass on the reduction to our licence holders !!!!!

[Woody]

whilst we are in a soft market as far as insurance is concerned get our premium down this year and pass on the reduction to our licence holders !!!!![/QUOTE]

Sorry i have just woken up it must have been a dream the price of things don't go down these days they only go up, i am getting so cynical in my old age

[Bazza]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Thats interesting.

When in good condition, cable steering is excellent, has no 'creep' and is cheap. Obviously a rotten, or poorly maintained wire system is dangerous, but what happens when someones hydraulic steering fails for some reason, will hydraulic then be banned and deemed unsafe?

I understand the concern, but it feels a bit 'nanny state' to me.

They'll be telling you what colour underpants you have to wear next.

FWIW John, cable steering on ski race boats was banned years ago, and single ride guide as well, thats EAME rules but Aussies can & do still use cable.

[Tony Davis]

What happens when an Aussie races his boat over here then?

[Wacky Racer]

If its a world event then its ok, if the event is run under EAME rules they would not be allowed to race, I think IWSF are looking at it at the moment.

[Bad Boy 717]

the IWSF rule states that this is ok, this what we go by for the Worlds. Rules 5.08 and 5.09

5.08
Steering Gear

(a) Steering wheel and drum shall be secured and locked on to the shaft.

(b) Steering wheel unit shall be fixed to, or through, the dash panel or a steering mounting bar and shall be through bolted and locked.

(c) Steering wheel strength shall be checked, if the wheel is split or cracked the wheel shall be rejected.

Wheels of the laminated rim type shall be checked for wear caused by the breakdown of the laminations. Plastic composition wheels shall be checked for early fatigue where the spokes join the boss to ensure the wheel cannot be forced to spin on the internal boss without undue minimum amount of pressure.

(d) Where shackles or such devices are used to attach the steering to outboard engines, they shall not be of a non-ferrous metal. Scrutineers shall satisfy themselves this is so even if the shackles are painted.

(e) Pulleys shall operate freely and shall be through bolted with positive locking.

(f) Steering wires shall be in good condition and shall have free running throughout their path, with adequate tension throughout their travel.

(g) Wires shall be secure and where doubled to form an eye shall be around a thimble and shall be secured with two bull-dog clips or equivalent.

(h) Lock wiring on all shackles, stretching screws etc. in the system shall be secure.

(i) There shall be no undue degree of play in the steering system, but steering wires shall not be over-tightened in a "piano-wire" fashion.

(j) For outboards - attachments to the engine, for inboards attachments to tillers and/or quadrants and their fitting to the stock shall be in good condition and secure.

(k) Engine or tiller and rudder shall operate with full and free movements in the correct sense.

(l) Rudder assemblies, gland keys etc shall be in good condition and secure with locked nuts and/or tight split pins.

(m) Rack and pinion steering shall be in good mechanical condition with no excessive backlash. Casings should also be checked.

(n) All pulleys with riveted pins of non-ferrous materials shall be rejected or the pins shall be replaced by a positively locked steel bolt. Pulleys should also, if possible, incorporate a bush.

(o) All pulleys with any tension shall not cause the yoke to clamp down on the pulley wheel.

(p) All pulleys which use an attachment hook of non-ferrous material shall be rejected.

(q) All attachment hooks shall be closed.

(r) Sheathed steering cables shall not be permitted, morse type systems exempt.

(s) Wires to the steering wheel running across the front of the dashboard shall effectively be shielded.

(t) It is also recommended wires running fore and aft inside the cockpit be similarly shielded.

(u) Jet boats must be fitted with a rudder extending below the bottom of the boat and operating in conjunction with the normal jet steering.

(v) Inboards and Outboards - Repairs to Stern Drives

Should any part of the outboard/out drives be welded or repaired below the cavitation plate line, then a certified x-ray to show structural integrity is required and must be permanently stamped or engraved on the cavitation housing by the repairer with the date of repair for identification purposes. This certification must be renewed every 12 months.

5.09
Control Cables

All control cables shall be taped or screwed down securely.

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by Wacky Racer

If its a world event then its ok, if the event is run under EAME rules they would not be allowed to race, I think IWSF are looking at it at the moment.

Who are the EAME and the IWSF?

[Wacky Racer]

IWSF, International water ski federation, EAME, Europe, Africa, Middle Eastern, ski federation, governing bodies of waterskiing.

[BluFin]

Firstly it's a safety issue so I can understand where they are coming from, But to take the full Hydraulic route is a bit of a knee jerk reaction.
IMHO both Hyd & Dual cable are fine with no issues, but as with all things, the system shold be kept up to a suitable standard it is not fit and forget
The Silver/Gray ruide guide has logged so many racing miles over the years that it is proven reliable and safe.
As for wire steering that has no place on a offshore racer of today, far too many possible single point failue locations, let alone trying to work out the geometry of the system with trim & lifters. It was OK 25 years ago just. but not in this modern age.
I'm surprised that they have made no mention of the piviot bolt that is the one single issue common to most systems, & still the point of most failures
i.e.
a/ Dia of Bolt Min
b/Material of bolt
c/Max amount of freeplay on bolt to bush (By DTI)
d/Hard time replacement dates (life) or NDT insp log of bolt

over too you STC ..................

[roofer]

I prefer wire steering over any other, gives great feedback through the wheel so boat can be controlled easier. Ive tried 3 different hydraulic setups, Seastar Pro, Teleflex and Capilano and removed them all due to lack of feedback.

Most boats that race at Barrow and Carr Mill still use wire including the F1 cats. If its maintained correctly I can't see whats wrong with it.

[Safety]

Cable steering USED to be banned from Class III. Only dual teleflex or hydraulic were permitted.
But, lobbying from ex OCR drivers, moving into Class III, saw their beloved cable sterring systems being allowed.
But that is history, what with me being a past-it has-been.