Carver Owners Forum

1986 Carver 4207 with Sea Star steering.
So over the weekend, I was in some pretty rough seas. The wind kept blowing me to port and turning me side on to the on coming waves. I would turn the steering wheel 2 to 3 turns to starboard in an attempt to hit the waves at a 45 dedree angle. I would not turn the wheel back to port. After 3 to minutes I would have to repeat this process. I continued to do this for the next hour and a half. It was like after a few minutes, the rudders would straighten back out. Like maybe I have a bar seal somewhere and the system would leak internally. Can anyone she'd some light on this for me?

Welcome aboard.

There's a few possibilities here; your fluid may be low, check the level in the helm pump or reservoir if it's a pressurized system. If it is a pressurized system, check the pressure on the gauge on top of the reservoir and the fluid level there and correct it if needed. The required pressure and level will be labeled. If you have the lower helm option, check it as well. Look for leaks at the helms both at the steering wheel shaft and at the back of the unit where the lines hook up. Also check the steering cylinder and any fittings from the helm to the cylinder. If you have an auto pilot, check the pump as well. Finally, you could have a problem with one or both helm pumps if applicable. There is a shuttle valve in the helm pump that can stick if there is a buildup of crud in there. It's not that difficult to dismantle and clean if you're mechanically inclined, there are videos online. If you have two stations, did you try steering from the other station, and if so were you getting the same result?

I checked the fluid level before I wrote the post. It was low. It seems to be better now. I'll check for leaks when I get a chance. Thank you for the help.