outboard or Rudder Steering??

[rod1029]

So here is the Question at hand:
does one control the vessel with the rudder, or with the direction of the outboard motor tiller?
Which leads to the 2nd question:
If it is with the Rudder Tiller of the vessel, then how does one keep the outboard stationary in a straight direction so one is in comfortable control?

Just seeing what all is out there on this subject....

 

[RECESS]

I always use the rudder going forward and the outboard going backwards with the rudder centered. I just have to be careful going forward making a left turn as my rudder can get over to the prop. My outboard stays centered, I have never had it swing to one side or the other. I must admit, I do not use the outboard often.

 

[druid]

On the boats I've had with an outboard, I've always used the rudder, exept when I REALLY need to kick the stern somewhere. If your outboard is "wandering" you need to tighten the adjustment that controls how stiff the steering is (can't help you more - it's different for different outboards)

druid

 

[wonkodsane]

Both for inside the marina. Rudder with outboard centered for puttering into the wind while getting the sails up. Dunno about reverse, my outboard's finicky switching between the two so I don't go into reverse much.

 

[kenn]

I do the same as Recess and Druid - whatever works, but rudder only when motoring forward for longer than a moment.

One of the very first jobs I did on our boat was to repair the prop bites in the otherwise beautiful mahogany rudder.

For our 5 HP Suzuki, there's a big wingnut on the vertical leg that sets the steering friction. It can easily be tightened enough to hold it on one course.

 

[sailingdog]

Of course, you could easily rig the boat so that turning the tiller turned the outboard. That gives you far more maneuverability than using the tiller alone.

 

[COOL]

A rudder is not effective for steering, other than by skulling,
until you have some way on. A steerable outboard can be
used very effectively in slow, close quarters manuevering.
Many Corsair Tris are set up with a linkage from the tiller
to steer the outboard, which works really well.

 

[sailingdog]

I don't believe the Corsair trimaran comes with the tiller and outboard linked, at least not from the factory. The Telstar 28 does come with a linkage between the outboard and tiller.

 

[Ray T]

For those of you whose outboard prop bites into the rudder while steering. I would suggest a small piece of flat aluminum bolted to the cavitation plate of your motor and extending just past the prop this will prevent the prop from touching the rudder. I did this on my O'day 23 and it worked like a charm.

 

[sailingdog]

BTW, IMHO, if they mounted the outboard where it can bite the rudder, they weren't thinking very much when they designed the setup.

For those of you whose outboard prop bites into the rudder while steering. I would suggest a small piece of flat aluminum bolted to the cavitation plate of your motor and extending just past the prop this will prevent the prop from touching the rudder. I did this on my O'day 23 and it worked like a charm.

 

[Joe]

I never steer with the outboard

If you have a boat where it is convenient to steer with the outboard.... then the choice is based on your own senses. However, if the OB is inconveniently located, or has no tiller, then you must develop a rudder steering technique for your own safety and conveninence.

I have an electrics start, remote controlled Tohatsu. There is no tiller handle. It is located in a motor well, covered by a hatch. Therefore, I always steer with the boat's rudder, never with the motor. If you are in a tight space, you can use the same manuevering techniques you do with an inboard. That is: using the prop walk and gear shifting between forward and reverse to spin the boat on it's keel.

Find a safe area to practice. Experience the prop's tendency to pull the boat to one side in reverse, you can magnify the action and slow moving in reverse by pushing the tiller in the same direction. When the boat's rear starts swinging to the side, shift to forward to let the rudder continue the turn. When the boat's motion starts to move forward, shift back to reverse, now the prop walk will take over ..... by alternating this activity the boat will practically turn inside it's own length. Note: the direction of the turn is defined by the direction the prop walk pulls the stern in reverse.

When backing straight out of a slip, the prop walk will pull the boat to the side... so... the technique I find useful is to simply get the boat moving with a short blast in reverse, then drop down to neutral and steer with the rudder while the boat's momentum carries me out into the fairway. For longer distances or against the wind, I use short blasts to keep the boat moving.

Therefore, you can use the maximize prop walk to benefit a tight maneuver, or you can minimize prop walk by pulsing the motor allowing you to maintain momentum and steer with the rudder.

 

[novelman17130]

Joe,
Is your Lancer a motor sailer or a standard boat with outboard accesssaboe in the rear motor well? In my 1975 standard 25' Lancer, I find that I have to stear with the tiller and the accessable outboard in tight condition as well as when running at slow speed to dock or tie-up to a mooring. I have a 2005 8 hp, Nissan four stroke and find it more than adequate in both light air as well as winds over 10 knots up to 20+ knots. I sail out of Marina del Rey along the coast as well a to Catalina Island good luck.
novelman

 

[kenn]

For those of you whose outboard prop bites into the rudder while steering. I would suggest a small piece of flat aluminum bolted to the cavitation plate of your motor and extending just past the prop this will prevent the prop from touching the rudder. I did this on my O'day 23 and it worked like a charm.

BTW, IMHO, if they mounted the outboard where it can bite the rudder, they weren't thinking very much when they designed the setup.

Well, in our case, there's not that much room on the transom of a 19' boat...

 

[cephius (Dave)]

On the Catalina 22 I also use the rudder most of the time but used the motor for tight turns.

The H260 had a fixed outboard. Impossible to control the boat with rudder alone. That's why there are several "Motor to Rudder connection" modification write-ups on this site. Making them turn together is the only way to control this boat.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

I do pretty much the same as everyone else on my little V21, Rudder for forward; motor for reverse - but in reverse I only go in short bursts before pulling out of gear. My rudder seems to be a bit oversize and the tiller tamer simply doesn't hold it centred if I build up any speed in reverse. That's where all the prop bites came from on my rudder before I refinished it.

 

[MrBee]

I no longer have a boat with an outboard but did, A friend of mine has one though. As I have suggested to him why not make a linkage that can be hooked from the motor to the top of the tiller. Thats how mine was. I could slip the link on or off as needed. Then you only need to use your tiller and the prop never will touch the rudder. Most outboards have a place to attach a linkage for wheel steering and all you need to do is hook that to the tiller or the top of the rudder.
Then you have the best of both worlds.
Bee