Your right!
All this “orama” stuff seams like drama soap opera. And since I don’t watch any TV or series on the boob tube anymore, I might as well create a few for myself. The real McCoy!
This week has been a bit odd. The tranny drama (from the previous post) got me into thinking about “stuff” and it’s all good. Even better when you hang with good company. Gustav and Hanna (no, not the hurricanes that hit Haiti a few years back) were back in town from New York (part of the prize you get when you win 3 awards making an outstanding movie like Shirley-Visions of Reality) and we hit the tavernas with ma Sis. Lots of good wine and conversation (about modern communications habits and New York and yada yada).
But back to Zoot Allures. Since the tranny is dead for the time being, it’s time to start with a new project. Replacing the cockpit steering wheel with a tiller! Why? Because it just takes up too much space in the cockpit and it is hydraulic which takes the “feel” out of boating. It’s impossible to get proper balancing feedback from your sail trim without the “feel”. Plus I find tillers to be sexier than wheels! So there!
Saturday I started taking it apart and disconnected various DC cabling which didn’t work anyway (compass light, horn button, windlass switch, a starter button(?) etc). Then I stared to bleed out some of the hydraulic fluids (ATF) from the lowest part…. the auto pilot. Well, 
I’ll tell ya… there’s nothing worse than seeing you boat bleed! It pretty much conforms the fact that Zoot Allures is officially dead! No motor and no steering. Plus the boat’s a mess. So I went home, curled up on my sofa with a blanket and read a book to get my mind off things.
But Sunday morning I was back, bright and early, and with Kostas, continued with the “neutering”. Disconnected the hydraulic lines, took off the pedestal retaining bolts and voila!
It was actually pretty easy, a bit on the heavy side, we got alot of laughs! It’s not every day you do something like ripping the pedestal off a boat!! It was even funnier getting on the ground with leftover ATF dripping all over my face. But it’s off and my cockpit is huge!
So
Stay tuned …..for another exciting a “orama” series!
Capt Pete
ps…. Dead boats are a mind-fuck. But this is something I’ve been “dieing” to do for 2 years. So we’re even!
pss… Plus it was Kostas birthday. What a fun packed weekend!!
Sailing Zoot Allures 
Oh man, major surgery, all for the glory of a huge cockpit. But seriously, that’s a win-win idea: more cockpit space, no hydraulic breakdown agonies…as for rudder feel, can’t complain about my hydraulic system – but then I have 3 positions: normal, feedback and bypass. Now you need a tiller autopilot or no pilot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not only a huge cockpit, put also getting around the wheel was a pain. Last year I bashed my head on the boom after releasing the autopilot (from inside the dog house) and hurrying/hopping over the bench to get behind the wheel. I’m not sure if I’ll operate the tiller with the hydraulics bypassed or completely disconnected from the rudder stock (I’m maintaining the doghouse wheel and autopilot). But I will need a tiller pilot.
Whats your “feedback” position??
LikeLike
Of course, you already have an autopilot (hydraulic pump, I presume). I suppose you still need a bypass valve. Can you rig up a valve controlled from the cockpit? And you can try the tiller with and without disconnecting the ram before splashing to see the difference. I operated my emergency tiller without disconnecting the ram (just on bypass).
My feedback position? I have a knob at the bottom of the pedestal, I turn it to select the position, and it’s either 1 or 3 – 2 being bypass, I think, I can’t remember. Anyway feedback sucks, I hate it, it gives me bad feedback like a couple of ex-girlfriends.
LikeLike
“feedback sucks, I hate it, it gives me bad feedback like a couple of ex-girlfriends” Thanks man, I LMFAO with that one… seriously!
So yeah, hydraulic autopump under the dinette couch, the lowest part where I drained. First I’ll install a bypass valve where the Helm was and try it out (without cutting the lines). It might be too far from the ram to be useful. Then I’ll try an other valve close to the ram (or close to the tiller under the combing window approx 1meter from ram). Lots of bleeding and draining to come. And if that is too heavy, I’ll need to figure a quick release for the ram to the stock.
So you say you can use your emergency tiller without disconnecting the ram? I like that and am hoping I’ll roll that way.
LikeLike
Switching from hydraulic steering to a tiller. Didn’t see that coming. Will be interesting to watch the transformation and especially interesting to see how you eventually like the tiller vs. the wheel. I’ve set up my Tivo to record every episode of Tiller-O-Rama.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Gotcha on the edge of your Flipper seat!
Tivo?? How did you do that?? It’s gonna take a while. Winter, cold, short days, maintaining bad habits…. you know.
I’m trying to come up with a good name….. but “Soap” has already been used.
LikeLike
Hey Peter… Your post is fantastic!!! I didn’t realise that you could include your sis’ friends movie… (which I unfortunately missed when it was in Athens), but also the “clip art” of your sis’ creativity!!!
Absolutely fantastic…Bravo!!! So, if Zoot doesn’t “ressucite” you now have a new vocation!!!
XXX
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked it Rika. And ol’ Zoot shall ressucite!!!
LikeLike
Wow! Plenty of wine and is that a piece of chocolate cake in front of us, because I don’t remember that! Hmmm… was a an animated evening which is in tune with Moving Images and media, so all is synchronized!
As for the rest, I will again: wow!
Happy Birthday, Kostas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I cant remember chocolate cake either!?! That wine was pretty funky, eh! Sync is putting it lightly!
LikeLike
Hi Pete,
You better start doing press-ups and strengthening your knees over the winter period. Pushing a tiller on an unladen 7 ton boat 10 metres in length, with the 48 hp engine also pushing the rudder into alignment could be tiring. I will be very interested to see how it handles.
LikeLike
I’m not to worried about it. Lots of other boats of heavier displacement and larger rudders (ours is quite small comparatively) do all right eg Westsail 32. Sail trim is important to minimize weather helm. It’s pushing the atf oil around in bypass mode which concerns me. Do you have a bypass valve?
LikeLike
Good job! Party time in the cockpit with all that extra space!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why thank you Viki! And whenever you’re in town come join the party!
Now… if it would only stop raining….
LikeLike
Don’t listen to those who say it will be hard controlling the tiller. Just get a donkey and tie it to the tiller a bit like the old flour grinding method. You would also have a new pet as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good idea! I could also use the donkey to replace the old Perkins. Extra essential gear would be a fishing pole and a carrot!
LikeLike
What a fun weekend, dead boats are always a challenge and if they’re accompanied with a birthday, then oh man… 🙂
LikeLike
Hey Lily!
Yeah, it was a fun day! Challenging….. and alot of fun. That’s the way it should be… and that’s the way I like it!
LikeLike
Pingback: Tiller-orama #2 | Sailing Zoot Allures
Pingback: Converting the Fjord MS 33 to Tiller Steering | Fjord MS 33 Restoration
Pingback: Converting the Fjord MS 33 to Tiller Steering | fjordms33
Pingback: SOHVI: Spring activity! | fjordms33