<<I will be installing the ultimate, low tech, maintenance free, inexpensive, fail proof emergency steering system on my boat. It is called an emergency tiller. There is a deck plate in the aft cockpit that accesses the top of the rudder post>> Patrick, One of the advantages of the old fashioned, expensive, obsolete, sailboat type pull-pull cable steering systems (ala Edson), is that near complete redundency is achieved by installing a linear/hydraulic autopilot system. In case of wheel, chain, or cable failure, complete steering is still available with the autopilot (and a lot easier to use than a top-of-the-rudderpost tiller). Mark Richter, Winnie the Pooh __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/