C-26 outboard motor steering?

[tgentry]

Copacetic came with the original Chrysler Sailor 280 which had a little stainless bracket that kept the motor rigidly straight ahead.

Now that we have our fancy new Suzuki, I just tightened up the steering friction to keep it the same way, but I've been thinking...

Has anyone tried rigging a steering cable from the motor to the tiller so that the motor would follow rudder movement?

Right now, low speed maneuvers when docking seem to our achilles heel, and I have to believe that being able to steer the motor would help a lot!

[CaptainScott]

Low speed steering with the outboard will help a LOT!
The Rawson I moved last weekend would not steer at all with the tiller when going ahead dead slow! The rudder was pretty usless without hukll speed! Using the tiller on the outboard was much better.

I can't answer your question other than YES it will help stearing with the motor!!

Scott

[EmergencyExit]

When I had the little 4.5 merc on EE I test-rigged up steering for the outboard but I have no pics. I was in a tight slip and up a crooked bayou and had no idea how maneuverable she was, so I wanted insurance.

Basically I had a line cleated to the tiller (on each side) about a foot from the rear, and those each went to a block on the rear corner of the stern and then terminated on a bracket at the rear of the outboard motor cover.

Pulling the tiller to either side caused the outboard to follow the rudder. Boy, she would spin on a dime too!!

[lecker68]

The only problem I could see is the rudder for sailing is going to turn more than the outboard could turn on a 26. On the other hand you can override the friction with the tiller handle. What I did with mine is found out how slow I can go and still get response any slower than that I use a feature that each motor on a boat has called "Prop walk and I also use current and wind I found that with the right hand prop on my 26 and I tried this in open water and no wind I can go rev. and forward repeatedly and it is slow but I can turn the boat 360 degrees.

[mcrandall]

Ooooh Yeah!!! The wheels are turning now! Cool ideas guys!

[tgentry]

I can dock using prop walk and wind, but Copacetic's turning radius in the marina is sometimes hard to deal with. I see the way inboards with prop wash over the rudder turn, and the way Mac 26's turn and think "how can I do that?".

My idea is to attach the cable to the tiller the same distance from the rudder post as the distance from pivot and cable connection on the outboard. This should give a one to one ratio so that they both turn the same amount. Turning the rudder more than the outboard can turn isn't useful anyway, it just stalls and becomes a brake.

Designing and building a bracket for the cable near the tiller shouldn't be much of an issue. I could even use a quick release pin for the connection to the tiller if I find the extra friction to be a problem of if the motor wants to flop to one side when tilted up.

What I'm struggling with is finding a cable that has a hard core at both ends. Usually the non-motor end is either flexible or has a rack built in. For my idea I would need something similar to the motor end on both ends.

If I can find the right cable, at a reasonable price, I think this could work.

[NYCSAILOR]

I have the suzuki as well.. I use the OEM tiller on the OB. I am planning a simple OB tiller extension -- either from west marine or a simple thing made with PVC pipe so I don't have to hang over the stern..

[tgentry]

Our Suzuki is the remote control unit, so no tiller on the motor. I like the remote throttle, shift, start and power tilt

[NYCSAILOR]

funny.. i have the tiller version and am installing the remote set-up in the cockpit..

I have used the OB tiller for close quarter maneavers... it is still tricky and takes some practice..