Stiff steering on Sun 2500

[comstock]

I viewed a 2005 Sun 2500 yesterday as I'm thinking of buying one. The boat looked like just what I want except the the steering was very stiff. The owner said that this was partly because the boat hadn't been used or scrubbed for some time. I know twin rudders won't be as light as a single one but is heavy steering a problem with this boat? I don't want to buy a sailing boat that is no fun to sail so I'd be very interested to hear other people's opinions.

[so36idavid]

I don't know the boat but the steering should not be unusually stiff. Either there's a problem with the steering mechanism itself or there's a problem with the rudder bearings. Failed steering is a very serious problem and this sounds like a warning sign. The good news is that if there is a problem it's all fixable given enough time and money. So if you really like the boat I would advise you to get to the bottom of it either yourself or hire a surveyor to look into it.

David