Years ago some family friends bought a 40' FBSF and I did a lot of work to keep this old boat running. I also ran the boat when they wanted to go out.
I was invited to go on an overnight trip that included a stop at the marina for fuel. We cruised the harbor and then anchored in a tidal creek for the night. The passengers were all friends that bought a lot of booze.
We decided to cruise out the harbor entrance and then make the fuel stop on the way back. The bouys in the entrance are pretty big and hitting one can really ruin a boaters day. This boat was built in the late 1940's, was in really good shape and had been refitted with the flying bridge. The original lower helm was still active but had a Studebaker steering gear box with a pipe that ran aft to the tiller. The gearbox couldn't be backfed so when the FB was installed the pipe was cut and a section of square tube installed that slid over the other section of pipe.
So, in order to use the top helm a pin had to be removed from a hole drilled in the square tube and the pipe. Did I mention that these guys were a bunch of pranksters? As the owner and a couple of the guys were driving on the FB, I mentioned to one of the guys in the cabin that it would be funny to take control. He jumped up and said "how". I told him to man the wheel and the other guys helped me open the hatch to the generator space where the pipe/sleeve section was located. The throttles were set low so I wasn't worried about any negative effects. I gave directions to the guy at the helm to turn the wheel till the holes lined up and stuck a screwdriver in to lock the steering to the lower helm.
The guys up top were having a good ole time and were unaware that we had taken away their steering, in fact their wheel was locked. This went on for several minutes and we decided that as long as the boat continued more or less on a safe course that the guys up there would be oblivious to our prank. We had to do something to get their attention... Remember the bouys? Someone said "Hey, turn towards the next bouy". As the course changed to a sharp left and the bow pointed directly at a big red nun about a half mile away there was an "Oh S**T" heard and the sound of scuffling on the roof of the salon. Guys were bailing off the FB to the cockpit and then running into the salon where they realized that we were in fact driving the boat.
Everyone was laughing so hard that we had to stop the boat. So now everyone is down in the salon and all of a sudden the guy on the wheel anounces the boat isn't responding to the helm. There was another mad dash to get to the FB helm and regain control. We laughed again!!! Ha Ha Ha, the screwdriver fell out, no big deal, Ha Ha Ha.
Or so we thought.
On to the marina and I was on the FB with instructions from the dockmaster to come alongside the fuel dock between two large yachts. The available space was about 60' and the wind was blowing off the dock with a tide at our stern. I decided to spin the boat 180? to port and when I turned the wheel all the way to the left it locked...in the midst of mega-yacht is not the place to lose the steering, especially hard over. I told the owner that I had lost the steering and the dockmaster standing there heard me. He said " You need to get out of here before you hit something". Luckily I was in a good position and was able to walk the boat starboard to the dock and tie up.
While the guys fueled the boat I started checking the steering, the lower helm was locked also. I checked the pipe/sleeve in the generator space and found the problem. When we lost the lower steering the guy had turned the wheel all the way to the right trying to correct our course. The wheel was still at that position as we entered the marina. When I made the 180 I turned the wheel on the FB all the way to the left.
The sleeve was just short enough at these wheel positions to allow it to drop slightly and butt against the end of the pipe locking both helms. Simple to fix, lift up the sleeve and turn the lower wheel to the left.
Lesson learned and a warning placard placed at the lower station.
Capt Ron
I was invited to go on an overnight trip that included a stop at the marina for fuel. We cruised the harbor and then anchored in a tidal creek for the night. The passengers were all friends that bought a lot of booze.
We decided to cruise out the harbor entrance and then make the fuel stop on the way back. The bouys in the entrance are pretty big and hitting one can really ruin a boaters day. This boat was built in the late 1940's, was in really good shape and had been refitted with the flying bridge. The original lower helm was still active but had a Studebaker steering gear box with a pipe that ran aft to the tiller. The gearbox couldn't be backfed so when the FB was installed the pipe was cut and a section of square tube installed that slid over the other section of pipe.
So, in order to use the top helm a pin had to be removed from a hole drilled in the square tube and the pipe. Did I mention that these guys were a bunch of pranksters? As the owner and a couple of the guys were driving on the FB, I mentioned to one of the guys in the cabin that it would be funny to take control. He jumped up and said "how". I told him to man the wheel and the other guys helped me open the hatch to the generator space where the pipe/sleeve section was located. The throttles were set low so I wasn't worried about any negative effects. I gave directions to the guy at the helm to turn the wheel till the holes lined up and stuck a screwdriver in to lock the steering to the lower helm.
The guys up top were having a good ole time and were unaware that we had taken away their steering, in fact their wheel was locked. This went on for several minutes and we decided that as long as the boat continued more or less on a safe course that the guys up there would be oblivious to our prank. We had to do something to get their attention... Remember the bouys? Someone said "Hey, turn towards the next bouy". As the course changed to a sharp left and the bow pointed directly at a big red nun about a half mile away there was an "Oh S**T" heard and the sound of scuffling on the roof of the salon. Guys were bailing off the FB to the cockpit and then running into the salon where they realized that we were in fact driving the boat.
Everyone was laughing so hard that we had to stop the boat. So now everyone is down in the salon and all of a sudden the guy on the wheel anounces the boat isn't responding to the helm. There was another mad dash to get to the FB helm and regain control. We laughed again!!! Ha Ha Ha, the screwdriver fell out, no big deal, Ha Ha Ha.
Or so we thought.
On to the marina and I was on the FB with instructions from the dockmaster to come alongside the fuel dock between two large yachts. The available space was about 60' and the wind was blowing off the dock with a tide at our stern. I decided to spin the boat 180? to port and when I turned the wheel all the way to the left it locked...in the midst of mega-yacht is not the place to lose the steering, especially hard over. I told the owner that I had lost the steering and the dockmaster standing there heard me. He said " You need to get out of here before you hit something". Luckily I was in a good position and was able to walk the boat starboard to the dock and tie up.
While the guys fueled the boat I started checking the steering, the lower helm was locked also. I checked the pipe/sleeve in the generator space and found the problem. When we lost the lower steering the guy had turned the wheel all the way to the right trying to correct our course. The wheel was still at that position as we entered the marina. When I made the 180 I turned the wheel on the FB all the way to the left.
The sleeve was just short enough at these wheel positions to allow it to drop slightly and butt against the end of the pipe locking both helms. Simple to fix, lift up the sleeve and turn the lower wheel to the left.
Lesson learned and a warning placard placed at the lower station.
Capt Ron
