Storing boat for winter, turn motors to one side.

[wilbe asea]

I had the steering go out on my boat in calm water, one week after I had been in some really rough stuff in Cook Inlet. Of course, the sea star steering system installed on the boat was now superseded, so had to replace the entire cylinder. I had been storing the boat with motors directly ahead, motors down. The rod in the cylinder that steers the boat is then centered on the o-ring that seals the cylinder. That became a place where salt water (apparently seeping in through the machine threads, not pipe threads, on the tilt axle) was able to collect and eventually rust the shaft. Since that is the position on the shaft that gets the most use, it eventually tore the o-ring, allowing enough oil to leak out that steering was severely compromised.

I now store the motors turned hard to port or starboard, positions that usually one does not steer to.