Rascal Runabout - Steering cable routing question

[Speedboy]

Last night I mounted the 50 HP Mercury outboard on the Ken Bassett designed Rascal runabout and luckily, all 4 holes lined up! The good news is that the steering cable clears the deck when it extends fully. See below:

The bad news is that there is no way the steering cable will enter through the side of the motor well, due to the relatively small size of the motor well and the height of the cable connection point above the motor well sidewall. See pictures below:


The steering cable instructions recommend bends of no less than 8" radius. I want to avoid running the cable across the deck and entering into the top of the coverboard. Can I do a more abrupt bend and have the cable enter as soon as possible? If I do a tighter bend than 8" radius, will it cause problems? Any ideas on how to make this a better looking transition through the deck? I also want to avoid a transverse slot because I don't want to cut through any battens (located directly below seams). Any ideas to make this as good looking and safe as possible are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Speedboy

[capt jake]

No suggestions, but that is one sweet boat! I have been following your posts and really admire the job you have done. Very nice!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ken Hutchins]

How about swapping the cable for a hydraulic system?

[Mike Vogdes]

I believe there is a clamp/block that mounts on the inside of the transom that you route the cable thru instead of using the tube on the motor. That way you can mount the cable low and be able to hide the installation under the deck. I havn't seen one in years but I'm sure it was teleflex. You would have to modify the arm that connects to the motor to the cable.

http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cgi...tegory=t&view_ id=40272&page_number=4

"Teleflex transom support mounting" page 4

[ 01-05-2006, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: Mike Vogdes ]

[ion barnes]

I once owned a Glen-L Squirt and found the steering cables to be positioned incorrectly as the motor would turn about half of its normal travel and then get pulled down. Problem was solved by routing the cables to the chine corners of the transom and up vertically thru the deck and around a sheave mounted near flush in the deck and across to the motor. The pulley was covered by a mahogany teardrop. I got so many compliments and never took a picture for the record.

[Dale R. Hamilton]

Speedboy- Ken's got the key. Consider hydraulic steering f0r maybe $600- will end your routing problems and give you a much more secure, accurate control at speed- amd I presume you will be 'at speed' some considerable part of the time.

[Charlie Santi]

Look at this it may work.



Your boat is beautiful thanks for posting as you built it.
Charlie

[Gary E]

Speedboy,

I would not recomend a hydraulic system for this application for one major reason, they are to slugish when compared to a direct connect mechanical one.

Depending on your skills at metalworking I would do one of these...

...Visit a Merc dealer with boat in tow and they might have a solution allready designed.

...If you cant do it yourself, visit a machine shop that can design a make an attachment connection adapter that will allow that cable to attach a few inches lower to allow the cable to come from under the deck.

Oh and,... looks very good...keep up the good work.

Good luck

[Speedboy]

All, thanks for all the ideas. The hydraulic idea may be feasible, but the cost is just too high. It's out of my price range. I've already purchased the Teleflex Safe-T-Quick connect Helm and steering cable and would like to utilize them if possible. Mike posted an idea where a transom mounted support is purchased to simulate the steering rod tube on the outboard, and it could be mounted lower so that the steering cable could pass through the sidewall of the motor well. Unfortunately, I run into a problem on the other side of the motor well where the steering cable rod would then hit the side of the motorwell due to the lowered position. But if you take Mike's suggestion one step further and move the transom mounted tube assembly further down inside the boat, on the transom below the motor well, I might be able to use my existing components with the transom mounted tube and do the following: See photo below:

Basically, I would have to cut a hole in the bottom of the motor well and install a fulcrum point (like a pillow block)which could allow a rod to interface with the engine steering rod connection point. The other end of the rod inside the boat below the motorwell could then be connected to the end of the steering rod on the cable. The only problem with this idea is how to change the configuration so that when I steer left, the boat doesn't turn right and vice versa! I like this type of approach because very little mechanical stuff is above deck. I would have to install a watertight boot to prevent water from leaking through the motorwell. Any ideas on an approach like this? Maybe if ran the cable on the port side.....?

Speedboy

[ion barnes]

Your last idea.. . no,no,no! That splash well is suppose to be watertight. However, your ealier idea of passing the cable throiugh the side of the well (with a suitable cover) and an extended and capped opening on the otherside of the well would be appropiate. Personally, I would go to the old style cable unit and feed it as I posted before. Its really simple, you dont have to alter the splash well, and if you have to jack or lower the motor for better performance, the steering does not have to be altered

[Victor]

What Jake said, Speedboy, that's one gorgeous boat! I had a similar problem, and solved it in my usual half-assed way by attaching a bracket to the motor and attaching the cable a few inches lower. But then you have other clearance issues and a different geometry. Don't try to increase the bend radius, it'll ruin the cable. Hydraulic would work, but wire cables just seems too old-fashioned and prone to failure at an inopportune moment.

Definitely contact Teleflex with your problem. They probably already have something, and might even make something in exchange for a few photos on their brochures!

[shellback]

I built RASCAL several years ago and while fitting the steering cable was not easy I managed to get it into the splash well as designed,and within the bend radius recomended buy the manufacturer.

[garland reese]

Good heavens Speedboy, that is a beautiful build on Rascal. I wonder if Rascal could be done as a jet drive, with a 120 horse inboard jet ski motor (like a bomadier or something....). Anyway, wonderful job, Sir. The more I see of Rascal, the more I'd love to explore it as a jet drive..

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Hey Speedboy, just let me know when you've figured it out (I know you will). I wanna ride!!!!!!!

[Matt Middleton]

If you don't come up with a way to go through the wall of your motor well, then maybe there's a way to have the cable route through the covering board and still look sharp. You might install something like this to finish the opening:

You could cover the black steering cable housing with stainless braided hose covering:

I'd route the cable forward from the engine above deck level to allow the vent opening to face aft.

Good luck with your decision, and my compliments on your work.

Matt

[Mike Vogdes]

Speedboy,

Your throttle and shift cables don't look like they will be much fun either. In a typical install they exit the side of the well then you loop the cables in the splash well befor connecting to the engine. In you situation, the well is so small you may experience a fair amount of chafe between those pretty decks and the cables. Is there enough room to exit the front of the well with the cables?

[garland reese]

Could Mr. Bassett be contacted? I wonder if others have run in to this same trouble. I sure hope you can come up with a soluttion that is complimentary aesthetically. Should you have to go through the deck with the cables, could you make some sort of nicely stylized covering like the one above, out of wood? You've really done well on the boat!

[Speedboy]

For the record, here is what I ended up doing to solve this steering cable routing problem. And thanks again for all the tips. They were a great help in solving the problem. I purchased a SeaFarer 5.5 degree rail end (316 stainless) designed for 7/8" OD tube. I had it bored through to allow for the steering cable to pass thru it. Near the end where the cable enters the SS fitting, I had it drilled and tapped so I could secure it with a bolt from below. I epoxied the head of a SS screw into the hole in the fitting that could no longer be used since the cable was now in the way. I then cut a 7/8" slot in the deck for the steering cable to pass thru. I purchased chrome XC silver braiding to go over the black steering cable (www.cableorganizer.com, P/N BSCHX-075). I routed the cable through the chrome braiding, the SS fitting, and the deck and bolted the fitting down in the front and screwed it down at the rear. I like the streamline look of the stainless and the fact that it is in line with the planking. Here are some pictures:


Thanks again for all the good suggestions.

Speedboy

[nedL]

Excellent solution. Very in keeping with the style and looks like it was always supposed to be that way (can't aske for more than that. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ross M]

Sanitary!