Rudder veering to starboard when motoring

Terra-Loon

Terra-Loon

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Leaving Dartmouth under power on Sunday I noticed that the wheel wanted to steer to starboard. However, when the engine was turned off the steering was smooth and balanced.

I have a skeg rudder and a saildrive that causes a bit of vibration sometimes but I've not experienced having to fight against the wheel before.

I'm not aware of anything fouling the prop or the rudder.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Gobes said:
Leaving Dartmouth under power on Sunday I noticed that the wheel wanted to steer to starboard. However, when the engine was turned off the steering was smooth and balanced.

I have a skeg rudder and a saildrive that causes a bit of vibration sometimes but I've not experienced having to fight against the wheel before.

I'm not aware of anything fouling the prop or the rudder.

Anyone have any ideas?
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The prop shaft is offset on most boats so that the shaft misses the rudder when extracted which results in some bias on the tiller. I've noticed that this increases when the boat is heavily fouled. I also find the steering is heavier under power presumably due to wash pressing in the leading edge of the rudder.
 
Ruffles said:
The prop shaft is offset on most boats so that the shaft misses the rudder when extracted which results in some bias on the tiller. I've noticed that this increases when the boat is heavily fouled. I also find the steering is heavier under power presumably due to wash pressing in the leading edge of the rudder.
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I don't think that accurate.Most modern boats have the shaft in line with the rudder.On my Fulmar for example I can only remove the shaft by removing the cutlass bearing first.
 
All irrelevant to the OP who clearly states his boat has a saildrive.

However it is true that most shaft drive boats have a shaft on the centre line, although Sadler 32 and 34 do have them slightly offset to facilitate removal of the shaft past the skeg.
 
Tranona said:
All irrelevant to the OP who clearly states his boat has a saildrive.

However it is true that most shaft drive boats have a shaft on the centre line, although Sadler 32 and 34 do have them slightly offset to facilitate removal of the shaft past the skeg.
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Nor does it explain why the change, the OP states this has only just started happening. I would assume something must have happened under water, as a non-expert in sail drives I just wonder if something could have knocked it out of line
 
Isn't it just the same as the prop-walk you get in astern? The more deeply immersed blade is in less disturbed water than shallower blades so it produces more side force -a sort of paddle wheel effect.
 
I suspect its just prop walk. The dirtier the bottom gets, the more you'll notice it, as the prop has to work harder to push the boat along.
 
Thanks to Lakesailor, I've just found that my rudder is a spade, not a skeg...

However, the bottom was cleaned and AF'd a couple of weeks ago. Even when the bottom was filthy the wheel was always balanced well. I was fine as we motored to the visitors pontoon but completely different the next morning. I even had some difficulty reversing out of the marina as I hadn't quite worked out what was happening.
 
Gobes said:
Thanks to Lakesailor, I've just found that my rudder is a spade, not a skeg...

However, the bottom was cleaned and AF'd a couple of weeks ago. Even when the bottom was filthy the wheel was always balanced well. I was fine as we motored to the visitors pontoon but completely different the next morning. I even had some difficulty reversing out of the marina as I hadn't quite worked out what was happening.
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It seems clear something has changed, either with the rudder or the saildrive. What sort of prop do you have?
 
I only asked to eliminate the possibility of a sticking blade if it was a folding prop. However that is a standard fixed blade so there is more likelihood that you have picked up something which is upsetting the flow of water from the prop. Could be something as simple as a plastic bag or a bit of net.
 
Gobes said:
Leaving Dartmouth under power on Sunday I noticed that the wheel wanted to steer to starboard. However, when the engine was turned off the steering was smooth and balanced.

I have a skeg rudder and a saildrive that causes a bit of vibration sometimes but I've not experienced having to fight against the wheel before.



Was in Dartmouth last week,although I came from west was amazed at amount of junk in water ranging from plastic sheets to masses of seaweed ,it all seemed to be about a foot underwater, only seen as we went past, had a couple of interesting moments with prop and rudder . Will be laying against wall to inspect when I get a moment
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Gobes said:
View attachment 43818

Here's my prop, before I replaced the annode.
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I could be about to say something really stupid... But are you sure it's not on backwards? Could explain the strange characteristics perhaps?

Anyone feel free to rubbish me if that's really dumb, and it could just be the angle or something, but I've been looking at that pic for a while and it just looks like it's supposed to turn the other way from the way it needs to...
 
flaming said:
I could be about to say something really stupid... But are you sure it's not on backwards? Could explain the strange characteristics perhaps?

Anyone feel free to rubbish me if that's really dumb, and it could just be the angle or something, but I've been looking at that pic for a while and it just looks like it's supposed to turn the other way from the way it needs to...
Click to expand...

I don't think so. But if that were the case then I would have noticed it weeks ago, wouldn't I?

I'm coming round to the plastic bag theory. The water was full of rubbish on the weeked.
 
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