Rudder angle guage. Useful or not?

pcatterall

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I understand that a rudder angle gauge is an ( expensive ) option to go with our wheel pilot but always though it was too expensive to bother with.
I now see some cheap options ( yes..from China!) which made me think again.

Occasionally while trying to encourage our long keeler to our stern to mooring, my elderly brain gets confused as to just how much rudder we have on! ( the wheel is small with several turns from lock to lock).

Do others find that a rudder angle gauge is useful?
 

Hoolie

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It is, even though the wheel has its centre-line marked. I can cope well enough without, but some crew members (naming no names) struggle to know where the rudder is pointing
 

Amphitrite

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I sailed quite a bit on large gaff schooners, and they all had a rudder angle gauge - was essential with approx 40 turns of the wheel from hard port to hard starboard.
 

NormanS

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My previous boat, with nine turns of the wheel from hard over to hard over, didn't have a rudder indicator, but my present boat, with a mere couple of turns of the wheel, does have one. Now I really know what I was missing for all these years. Very useful when manoeuvering at close quarters.
 

BrianH

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My Raymarine wheel pilot has a rudder indicator at the bottom of the head instrument with the fluxgate compass heading - in the image below it shows some degrees to port. It is indeed useful, although I have a tiller too, but when using the wheel, that is normally hinged vertical close to the backstay. The installation of the sensor onto the quadrant was, however, a nightmare, working through a cramped stern locker.

AP1308.jpg
 

rogerthebodger

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But how did the reed switch know whether the wheel was 360 degrees out from centre? :confused:

Richard

Magnet on the rudder tiller are on reed switch mounted to close when tiller arm centered.

I made up a variable resister mounted in a similar way driving a lime of LEDs red to port green to starboard and yellow at the centre point
 

laika

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I understand that a rudder angle gauge is an ( expensive ) option to go with our wheel pilot but always though it was too expensive to bother with.
[...]
Do others find that a rudder angle gauge is useful?

I believe the main reason for purchasing your autopilot manufacturer's rudder angle sensor is to improve performance of your autopilot. Mu autopilot works ok without the riddler sensor in calm conditions but I've not done a like for like with/without comparison when the sea state has been tricky.

If I was a better sailor and able to always recall how many turns were on my wheel and instantly map that to rudder angle in my head I'd not need a gauge but like others, I find it very valuable in close-quarters manoeuvring and useful for double checking the "feel" of how much weather helm I have.
 

pcatterall

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Thanks for all the replies. We are only 4 turns 'lock to lock' but even so going astern I do get 'confused' particularly as the stern does not move at all in the direction it should at the best of times.
Using to help balance the trim will be a big help as well.
 
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