Steering advice needed.

[booke23]

11 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I always thought amidships meant halfway between the bow and stern of a vessel, rather than halfway between port & starboard? Or can it mean either?

 

One online dictionary definition:

Amidships is defined as the part of a vessel or an aircraft that is between the bow (front) and stern (rear). A cabin that is located in the central portion of a ship along the keel is an example of a cabin that is located amidships. In or toward the middle of a ship; esp., halfway between bow and stern.

 

'Rudder amidships' is a fairly standard helmsman order in most navy's and probably merchant shipping. Meaning to centre the rudder. 

 

The word amidships does indeed mean the middle of a ship. 

[doratheexplorer]

Going back to the original question - steer the outboard.  For a rudder to work properly, you need the flow of water from the prop to be passing over it.  Fixing the outboard in a forward position and steering the main rudder will mean that the boat will hardly steer at all.  But as others have said, I would only be cruising with the outboard in emergencies. 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

For a rudder to work properly, you need the flow of water from the prop to be passing over it.

 

 

Maybe pedantic, but that is not correct.

What the rudder requires is "a flow of water over it", it does not have to be from the prop.

 

Take my boat for example - the rudder is located between the two props and gets it 'flow of water' from the boat being pushed forwards rather the the props pushing water backwards over the rudder.

 

As can be seen in the 1st picture, the rudder is level with, if not actually forward of, the props.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bacchus]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Maybe pedantic, but that is not correct.

What the rudder requires is "a flow of water over it", it does not have to be from the prop.

 

Take my boat for example - the rudder is located between the two props and gets it 'flow of water' from the boat being pushed forwards rather the the props pushing water backwards over the rudder.

 

As can be seen in the 1st picture, the rudder is level with, if not actually forward of, the props.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technically correct but doesn't present the whole picture (c:

 

The advantage of having prop wash over the rudder (or a directionable prop from an outboard or outdrive) comes with slow speed manoeuvring. With prop-wash (or directionable prop) you can get a sideways force with negligible boat motion which allows you (ignoring prop walk...) to kick the stern one way or t'other

 

Of course with twin engines, you wouldn't need to use the helm for slow speed manoeuvring, it is only there for higher speeds. With sail-boats, of course, the rudder becomes an integral part of propulsion which is why sailors laugh at the tiny little things we motor-boaters have to contend with.

 

 

ETA - nice looking boat by the way

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Bacchus

[doratheexplorer]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Maybe pedantic, but that is not correct.

What the rudder requires is "a flow of water over it", it does not have to be from the prop.

 

Take my boat for example - the rudder is located between the two props and gets it 'flow of water' from the boat being pushed forwards rather the the props pushing water backwards over the rudder.

 

As can be seen in the 1st picture, the rudder is level with, if not actually forward of, the props.

 

 

 

 

 

Unless you're actually saying that it would be reasonable for the OP to fix the outboard in place and steer with the main rudder, then your comment is irrelevant and likely to cause confusion.  If the OP does that, it will go badly for him.  He will get much better steering using the outboard, and this is because the prop is pushing water directly onto the rudder.   A butty has an enormous rudder because it doesn't have a prop.  It still moves forward and has a flow of water over the rudder, but the steering response would be considerably less if a butty had a rudder the size of the OP's.

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Unless you're actually saying that it would be reasonable for the OP to fix the outboard in place and steer with the main rudder, then your comment is irrelevant and likely to cause confusion.  If the OP does that, it will go badly for him.  He will get much better steering using the outboard, and this is because the prop is pushing water directly onto the rudder.   A butty has an enormous rudder because it doesn't have a prop.  It still moves forward and has a flow of water over the rudder, but the steering response would be considerably less if a butty had a rudder the size of the OP's.

 

 

Read what you actually stated, then read my reply.

 

My reply was to you and not the OP - nowhere did I suggest he fix/lock the OB  and use the rudder. I was simply correctly your erroneous statement.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[doratheexplorer]

27 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Read what you actually stated, then read my reply.

 

My reply was to you and not the OP - nowhere did I suggest he fix/lock the OB  and use the rudder. I was simply correctly your erroneous statement.

Deleted.  Not worth it.

Edited December 16, 2021 by doratheexplorer

[Alan de Enfield]

17 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

There are many thing which apply to canal boats which are fundamentally different to sea going boats.  I know you don't own a canal boat but this is a canal forum.

 

My comment in post #7 was based on 40+ years of canal experience and several canal boats (Steel NB's) so I do realise that there are differences between canal & Sea going boats, but, irrespective, your statement was still incorrect.