Steering Cable question?

[vtncsuskier]

I am the owner of a 99 pro air nautique. Evidently this was one of the first years that stock ballast tanks were installed in air nautiques.

The steering is now stiff and we need to replace the steering cable. After talking with our mechanic and correct craft the only way to get to the sterring cable is to remove the rear ballast tanks. To do this you have to remove the gas tank. I see this is a major design flaw by correct craft. Why would they not realize how difficult it would be to replace the steering cable with such a design??

I am curious if this is only a 99 pro air thing or if this is the case for newer air nautiques with the stock rear ballast tanks. Have any of you air nautique owners had to deal with this type of problem??

Instead of having to pay for parts and install I am also going to have to pay someone to siphen the 30 gallons of gas out of the tank, remove the tank, and ballast then hook everything back up.

I have been VERY satisfied with the quality and build of the boat (2nd correct craft boat i've owned) but how could they overlook such an issue when designing these boats.

Sorry for the long post

[skinautique]

RE: Steering Cable question?

The gas tank shouldn't need to come out. I have replaced them on that boat and they aren't fun. Sometimes, you can get lucky and you can work through the little hole between the back wall and the ballast tanks. It isn't easy but it is doable with some patience.

[Miljack]

We also have the 99 PAN, and we just had our steering cable replaced. I consider myself to be very mechanically inclined, but this was a job for the dealer! I could see the tiller end, BARELY, but I couldn't really get a good shot at it with a wrench.

Our dealer charged us 2 hours labor, which I think was fair for a job of this size, and I don't think they had to remove the ballast or gas tank. As a matter of fact I am almost positive they didn't remove the gas tank, because they took my boat out to test for some other items. The mechanic had called to apologize for not getting it done before the weekend, and called back in a couple of hours to say he finished it.

good luck

[OldFart]

The design improved i later models.