Problems steering my sailboat with outboard/tiller

M

Monaco

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Dec 13, 2014
9
Tanzar 22 Tampa
Steering my sailboat out of the channel is a two man job because the outboard won't stay in one place so I have to have someone hold it while I steer with the tiller. One time the motor slipped while we we near another boat and we almost hit it!

I'm trying to figure out the best way to solve this problem. Is it normal to remove the tiller and just steer with the engine and then put it back on when you get the sails up? That doesn't seem practical. Or is is possible to make the engine stay strait? It's a Nissan NSF6 and I've tightened the knob on the back as hard as I can... Am I missing something?
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Monaco said:
Steering my sailboat out of the channel is a two man job because the outboard won't stay in one place so I have to have someone hold it while I steer with the tiller. One time the motor slipped while we we near another boat and we almost hit it!

I'm trying to figure out the best way to solve this problem. Is it normal to remove the tiller and just steer with the engine and then put it back on when you get the sails up? That doesn't seem practical. Or is is possible to make the engine stay strait? It's a Nissan NSF6 and I've tightened the knob on the back as hard as I can... Am I missing something?
Click to expand
the knob seems as if it isnt doing its job. maybe something missing such as the wear pad... or the threads may need cleaned up so it will screw in farther. if the particular knob you are talking about is in fact the steering dampner/friction, then it should be able to lock the motor where it cannot be steered, with very little effort on the screw.

almost all motors have a screw located somewhere on the steering post that can be tightened or loosened, depending on how floppy or stiff the steering is. others may have a more obvious knob, such as yours
they are usually located right below the powerhead, on one side or the other. tighten it as necessary to hold the motor in the position you want while it vibrates/runs.

normal is to have the motor stay in position to propel the boat straight forward when the tiller is centered, then use the tiller to steer.
when docking or maneuvering in tight quarters, it is sometimes preferable to use both the tiller and the vectoring of the motor to position the boat how you want to....
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,318
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
According to the owner's manual, page 27 http://www.nissanmarine.com/tech_talk/pdf_files/Nis4_5_6-4stroke.pdf

The steering adjustments screw is used to adjust the friction load of the steering, but NOT to fix the steering. Excess tightening of the adjustment screw may cause damage to the swivel bracket.
Click to expand
If you've damaged the bracket... order a new part... in the mean time, lash the motor in place with a couple of strategically placed lines hooked to the motor's tiller arm bracket.

OR... you could call your local Nissan/Tohatsu dealer and ask him how to lock the steering in place.
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Kermit said:
You might be able to hook up a linkage system that connects your motor to your rudder. That would solve it all. This is what I bought.
http://www.marinetechproducts.com/pages/AuxiliaryMotorSteeringStainless
Click to expand
I agree with some of the above....get the lock fixed on the outboard first but if you want the added control of the tiller and the outboard turning in unison consider linking them when you need to. I built such linkage and it goes on or off in a matter of second and works great in tight situations where the added maneuverability is nice.




More on it here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-29.html

Sumner

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Kermit

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,722
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Sumner's system seems even better than what I use. The Panther linkage is over the water. Dropping it is always a possibility for me. Even if I never do the possibility is always there. I have seen where someone on this forum ties a line on it to keep from dropping it. Sumner doesn't seem to have to deal with that.
 
Joe Blizzard

Joe Blizzard

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Feb 5, 2009
255
Gloucester 20 Kanawha River, Winfield, WV
Joe said:
According to the owner's manual, The steering adjustments screw is used to adjust the friction load of the steering, but NOT to fix the steering. Excess tightening of the adjustment screw may cause damage to the swivel bracket.
Click to expand
The manual for my Yamaha says the same thing, and it's true it won't lock the steering completely, but it'll make it tight enough that the motor will stay put while I steer with my rudder. However, if I overdo it when greasing the swivel bracket, the friction strap will get grease on it and it won't hold worth a hoot. A good cleaning has always fixed it right up. I'd try that first, if it was me.
 
Sumner

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Kermit said:
Sumner's system seems even better than what I use. The Panther linkage is over the water. Dropping it is always a possibility for me. Even if I never do the possibility is always there. I have seen where someone on this forum ties a line on it to keep from dropping it. Sumner doesn't seem to have to deal with that.
Click to expand
:) but I do use a safety line on...



... the one that connects the trolling motor to the tiller for that very reason :) along with lines on the 2 pins used to connect it,

Sumner

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Our Endeavour 37

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B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,213
CC 30 South Florida
Removing the tiller will not solve your problem you will also have to remove the rudder and depending on the boat it could be real hard to get the gudgeons in place with the boat in the water. Had a trailerable years ago and in a grounding the rudder poped out, tried getting it back on and could not in the prevalent conditions at the time but the boat steered fine with the thrust of the outboard. In our current trailerable we have the opposite condition the outboard leg is frozen in a fix position. We have no problems with that so we have left it as is.
 
C

Capt jgw

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Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
I had a link between the OB and rudder on one of my previous boats. Motor turned with the rudder and the boat handled great under power. The weight of the motor affected the handling under sail, I fixed that by adding another connection on the transom positioned to hold the motor for straight ahead. I had to lean out over the transom to start the motor anyway, so it was no more effort to pop the linkage off the hull and onto the rudder. Ran the boat that way for years.
 
Brian S

Brian S

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Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
For my little boat, which has a fixed motor bracket, I rigged this piece of wood. It slips over the side of the bracket (the long slot) and then the motor tiller arm fits into the small notch. It's quick and easy to put in place and remove, because sometimes I want to steer with the rudder and the motor.



And a shot with the piece of wood in place:



Note that it's kinda offset to make sure the motor points straight ahead, such that the boat goes straight rather than having to correct with the rudder (and thus slow down the boat a little bit.)
 
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