16 Steering and Bottom Paint Question

Montana Kev

I recently purchased a 1993 CD-16 Cruiser. It's been sitting for several years and now the maintenance starts. I am looking for any old articles on the forum or new advise.

Steering - The teleflex steering is real stiff. I have lubed the zert fitting at the engine and disconnected the engine from the cable. The engine moves free. The cable is still stiff after the lubrication. I see there is there is a clear tube attached to the steering box behind the wheel. It's dry. What type of lube goes in to the tube and how much?

Bottom Paint - It's got bottom paint that's in bad shape. It comes off to the touch and is a mess when I wash the boat. I would like to remove it and have read several articles online and see it's toxic and there are many opinions on how to remove it. Looking for advise from CD owners.

Thanks,
Kevin

Wandering Sagebrush

thataway · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:15 pm Post subject:

There used to be a fitting available which allowed for lubing these cables and the push pull steering. Davis makes fittings which will help to keep the cables lubed, but In todays world, I believe that the best course of action is to chuck the steering and put in a new unit, and cable. It is almost impossiable to disassemble and grease the modern units once they have corroded. Usually it is not only dry grease in the helm unit, but corrosion in the cable sheath.

I just spent a 5 days, repainting the bottom of one of my boats--(non C Dory)--and it is a pain to do! I had let it go 4 years--and even though we are in "fresh water"--really brackish--we had lots of growth. Lesson learned!

Once bottom paint is put on the boat, the boat has most likely been either sanded, coated with epoxy or coated with a primer, and you will never get the bottom looking good again. There are exceptions--and occasionally you can clean up the bottom.

There are chemical strippers--and a boat the size of the 16 that might be practical. Page 285 of the current West Marine Catalogue lists 4 strippers which can be used for bottom paint--not cheap.

Soda blasting by an expert is another option. Sanding will leave marks.

I would just repaint it with another ablative paint. Pettit Vivid might be a good paint to use--it is good for multiple launches, yet survives trailering abrasion well. You could also sand off the paint--and then paint it with another non bottom paint--such as TopLac or Easy Poxy.

getzold · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:05 am Post subject:

I have a 93 angler 16 as well. After trying all sorts of stuff, replaced the steering unit this year. Not too expensive and well worth the effort.

Gerry