VickeyS
New Member
Posts: 8
Jeanneau Model: NC 895 Sport
Yacht Name: Heart’s Delight
Home Port: Dunedin, FL
Country: USA
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Post by VickeyS on Jan 9, 2020 23:19:31 GMT
Update: techs tried bleeding the steering system a different way and did get some air out. In future, I will spend some time at low speeds in open water after any work of this sort.
Hello all,
While taking delivery of my new NC 895 Sport with dual Yamahas 250s today, we lost steering entirely for a short period of time. It was within a quarter mile of the dealer dock so we limped back and eventually we got some steering back. There were no problems of this sort on the sea trial or over the thirty hours plus that are on the engines. We had recently had an autopilot installed and the engine 20 hour maintenance. They trailed it to calibrate the autopilot with no problems. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this? The dealer kept the boat to check on possible causes of course.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
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Post by pnw895owner on Jan 16, 2020 5:21:05 GMT
Were you at a low rate of speed with autopilot engaged? If so, that’s almost certainly the culprit.
The autopilot automatically turns the motors to maintain course. At low speeds, the autopilot can’t correct enough for current and wind and so it ends up cranking the engines further and further in one direction until the steering locks up, and temporarily shuts itself down to prevent real damage to the steering system.
If this is the cause, great news, there’s nothing wrong with the boat. Just don’t engage the autopilot at below say 4 or 5 mph particularly if there’s a turn in the plotted course, decent current or wins.
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VickeyS
New Member
Posts: 8
Jeanneau Model: NC 895 Sport
Yacht Name: Heart’s Delight
Home Port: Dunedin, FL
Country: USA
|
Post by VickeyS on Jan 26, 2020 18:17:29 GMT
Thank you! I will remember that!
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