Tight steering

[h2o-ski]

Now that I have gotten some hours on the rebuilt ‘81 Sport, I’ve noticed that steering while underway is very laborious. On land you can move the steering wheel with just 2 fingers and I bought a new cable when I put the boat back together. Is there a way to reduce the effort because the captain is not a big fan of the arm workout?

[MySupra]

H20-ski, I'm sure you have checked / replaced the wax rope packing in the assembly above the rudder.

I had a similar problem. New cable / helm alleviated 75% and packing 25% of problem. [Unclear if packing stiffened once wet (water seepage).]

MySupra

Here's a look at the assembly from the top (1990 SunSport)

[h2o-ski]

Thanks for the idea. I replaced the packing during the rebuild. What I'm trying to understand is that just sitting in the water or on the trailer, I can move the steering wheel with just my fingers. As soon as there is water flowing over the rudder, it becomes a work out.

I have driven a few comp ski boats that have had rudder work done to make tracking better but increase the effort needed to steer. Also not sure if it is due to the offset rudder.