07 SX230 Broke Steering

[JayW24]

While I was on the lake but idling yesterday, I turned the wheel and thought I felt a couple pops. But once I throttled up, the boat seemed to drive and steer normal. Once I got into the no wake I still didn't notice anything until I dropped off my wife at the dock. When I tried turning around, the boat just wanted to keep turning in a circle and wasn't reacting to my steering inputs. I then turned off the engines and went back to see that port side jet was not pointed in the right direction and I could reach down and move it with my hand.
I took the boat out of the water and it isn't something that I can see broke out back by the nozzles. Do you think I could have broke a cable? And is it ok to use for the rest of the weekend if I point that nozzle straight? It seemed to drive normal when applying throttle, just at no wake, I had to use no wake mode only on the starboard side and leave the port side in normal idle.

 

[Beachbummer]

Probably broke a cable or two. Boat may turn only in one direction.

Check operation of the nozzles whole your steer the wheel? So they go to the end of the expected motion when tiring the wheel end to end?

You should determine damage before going out. Losing steering while underway can be deadly if it happens at the wrong time.

 

[JayW24]

Just went and looked at it in the light. The nut on the cable where it mounts to the steering wheel came off. I found it and the washed and then realized the other side was about to come loose also. So glad it's an easy fix. Yesterday was exactly 4 years from the day of our first trip on the boat and I was thinking "Just my damn luck!". In four years, this boat has been very reliable.