Mylar vs Coated cable

[HYDRO21Z]

I have heard discussions about the pros and cons of using
Mylar steering line and or Coated Cable.
I have been using Coated Cable now and have had little
problems with it. Once in the past 5 years have I had the coating
separate from the cable, fortunately it did not interfere with
the steering. I am curious with all the Technical people here
what the consensus opinion will be.
Why use one or the other?
I await your responses, and opinions.
Dennis 21Z

[mercguy]

I was wondering the same thing Dennis. After a year or so, the coating on my cable starts to crack, but nothing that would create any problems.

[Bill Huson]

Back in the `80s I had a roll of 3/16" twist line -- think is was a aramid fiber -- white. Testwise it was way stronger than coated wire cable of the same o.d. and it didn't stretch. I figured exposure to UV would tear it up after a spell, but it lasted for years. Unknown lifespan, I never had to replace it on any of my boats. Best I ever got out of coated wire was 3 years before the cover crapped out and started to flake off. Even better, the line went around pulleys and the drum without trying to expand and spin off. I loved that funny white line, used it on every boat I put together, never had a problem.

[CSR4C]

In 1979 I borrowed a runabout at Lawrence Lake. It had mylar steering line. The line jumped the one of the coaming pulleys. The mylar line broke durning milling.
That was the last time I ever used mylar steering line!

[fitsracing]

There are some guys on the east coast who have been using kevlar rope with good results. One thing to consider is the pulley alignment needs to be true so the rope won't chafe. One guy had this problem and eventually the rope got sawn through by the coaming. This would not happen with steel. Fortunately noone got hurt.

[Bill Huson]

Must have not been the same stuff I was using. That rope would saw enough wood out to break the boat before it broke. Not to mention, that guy must have had one sloppy steering rig to chafe the rope into destruction. I'm suprised a tech inspector didn't black flag the boat. Or the driver - like didn't he give the ol' rig a once-over now and again?

The only steering failure I had was on my 15ssH which was rigged with aramid rope. The rope didn't break. The steering bar and the chunk of tower housing it was bolted to sheered off the tower housing! The ensuing wreck was rather spectacular. The observant pit crews and driver gave it a 9.6. My wife, who was on the judges stand, wasn't favorably impressed. Took about three days and handful of Valium to calm her down. Yeesh, was I in trouble!

[Jakeroub]

I had one of the nuts fall off the steering bar bolt and the other one loosen on my homebuilt B runabout. The boat suddenly got really hard to keep straight! I was driving zig-zag at speed for a while before I realized what was happening. Shoulda used luck-nuts! haha, thats a lesson I wont soon forget. Coulda been ugly.

Jake B.

[hydroplay]

Another choice for steering cable is stainless steel aircraft cable. We use 5/32 inch diameter, 7x19 cable. Its thinner, stronger and lighter than the plastic coated stuff. We don't use any pulleys for the cockpit sides, just some Delrin blocks to form a radius for the cable. On J and A stuff the steering is direct but on C and D stuff, we add small Harken microblock pulleys so the entire system is small, light and trick looking.

[Dave M]

hydroplay, can you post any pics ? I am interested in seeing this setup.

[hydroplay]

Dave,

I don't have any pics which show the steering in in great detail. I'll get out my video camera this weekend and lay some stuff out so I can get some digital pics. Otherwise I can show it if you're going to the National Meeting next week. For a powerful FE, I'd probably use 1/8 inch cable instead of the 5/32. Its really similar to what the 45SS guys use save that they use pulleys through the cockpit sides where we just use a Delrin guide block. They use Delrin guides to keep the cable off the deck and cockpit sides as necessary but no one else has used it for 90 degree bends like we have. The small cable lets us use really neat little cable clamps too. These don't work by just clamping the two sides together on the cable but pinch it together and against the clamp in about 7 places so they are very well designed and light. The only downside to the SS cable is that it can slip on the steering hub. You need to put a cable clamp or knot where the cable loops through inside the hub so the cable can't slip. Let ne know if you're going to MKE.