Hydro: Steering

We are anxious to keep the hydro moving forward. So even though it is too wet and cold for the needed glass work, it was a good day for a run to West Marine to pick up some needed parts.

For the steering we picked up 20 feet of 3/32nds stainless steel wire.  Some assorted swage fittings.
We also got some paint and 2 6inch deck hatches.  These will allow us access to the back of the pontoons.  Good for a little storage, but mainly to keep the interior of the hull ventilated and inspectable.

Here is the thin wire we will use for steering control.

In the bag

We are using a 4x9 inch piece of Starboard for the steering support.  We drilled a snug hole that supports the shaft and acts as a bearing.
The battens we used to form the cockpit fairing will eventually be glassed over.
At some point, we will flip the hull over and do this work then.  We will also address any needed fairing on the underside of the hull and paint the bottom.

Because the shaft and the drum are steel and we are in a salty environment, we sanded the part and coated it in epoxy.