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From: Faure, Marin (no email)
Date: Fri Jul 02 2004 - 21:53:34 EDT
>So, if you've got a Taiwan trawler old enough to vote, be sure to check
this one out (soon)! [Description of inaccessible rudder chain and bad
welding on rudder posts omitted for brevity]
I'm curious if these are common design attributes of all Taiwan
Trawlers. The term "Taiwan Trawler" as I understand it is applied to a
large number of boats made in that country. CHB, Marine Trader, Puget
Trawler, etc., etc., etc. are all lumped under the generic term of
Taiwan Trawler. While I guess some people might use the term in a
derogatory manner, it's my understanding that the worst that can be said
about Taiwan Trawlers is the build quality can be somewhat inconsistent
depending on which yard built the boat. So far as I know, the vast
majority of Taiwan Trawlers are as good as everything else out there.
The poster has a Marine Trader (I assume that's what "MT" stands for).
Are the design and build characteristics he describes also found in
CHBs, etc?
Our boat is not a Taiwan Trawler in that it was not built in Taiwan.
But the design follows the typical tri-cabin trawler layout. Our boat
has cable steering, with the cables going all the way back and
connecting to the starboard rudder quadrant. The port and starboard
quadrants are connected with a tie rod. There are no chains in this
system, other than the short "bicycle chain" section that transmits the
rotation of the helm to the steering cables under the cabin sole. I have
assumed that this simple and foolproof system was what everyone used
until hydraulic steering started becoming popular in boats of this size
and type. I've not seen a chain drive steering system-- I assume its
layout and operation is identical to the cable drive system I'm familiar
with-- but is the chain drive a common steering method on these boats?
And is it a chain chain, or is it a bicycle-type chain? I would think
an advantage of a chain system over a cable system-- assuming you can
get at it-- is that if a link breaks you can replace the link. I know
there are connecting links you can use to repair a broken bicycle-type
chain, and I believe there are similar devices for regular chain. If a
cable breaks, your only practical solution is to replace the cable.
Our boat (and the single-engine GB36 we chartered prior to acquiring our
boat) has a huge emergency tiller stowed in the lazarette. This wood
and bronze monster is designed to fit down through an access fitting in
one of the lazarette hatches and mate up to a big square stud machined
into the starboard rudder quadrant. In the event of a cable failure,
the boat can be steered manually from the aft deck using this tiller.
I realize that trying to dock using this thing, particularly if you were
the only person on board, would be a very difficult if not impossible
task. Better, I guess, to let the rudders do what they may and maneuver
as best one can by manipulating the two engines (assuming you have two
engines). But I'm curious if this emergency tiller capability is common
to (or required on) all trawlers no matter who made them.
______________________________
C. Marin Faure
GB36-403 "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington
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