Small Outboard Engine Steering

[catalac08]

Hi
When a small outboard engine (say 20-30HP) has a wheel steering outboard engine as on many ribs or small motor boats without a rudder; is there enough friction in the wheel steering system to hold the engine central without it having to be held to stop the torque reaction pushing the engine over to one side?

If the wheel always has to be held is there an easy way to lock the wheel in the central position to enable the wheel to be left ( disregard wheel pilot usage)?

 

[RobWales]

Hi
When a small outboard engine (say 20-30HP) has a wheel steering outboard engine as on many ribs or small motor boats without a rudder; is there enough friction in the wheel steering system to hold the engine central without it having to be held to stop the torque reaction pushing the engine over to one side?

If the wheel always has to be held is there an easy way to lock the wheel in the central position to enable the wheel to be left ( disregard wheel pilot usage)?

Some helms employ an adjustable friction affair to stiffen things up, however if its a small boat which I suspect it is? then even if you do manage to centralise the engine and keep it there, the movement of your weight around the boat while the steering is doing its own thing will cause the boat to deviate away from the preferred course!

 

[rosssavage]

My mariner 20 has a 'co-pilot' according to the blurb. What it actually is, is a variable friction device. Same idea as my 3.3 mariner.

I have found though, that the 20 horse motor doesn't seem to suffer from torque reaction at all, even with the friction off, whilst the 3.3 will merrily spin through 360 degrees over and over without enough friction applied.

The 20 horse is wheel steered and it is ever so slightly easier to turn the wheel one way than it is the other, but it is barely noticeable.

 

[clydeoutboardservices]

I would not want to be on any small boat with engine in forward gear without anyone holding onto the steering. v v dangerous as to many things can make it change direction i.e. waves, people moving in the boat, change in the current speed ( especially on rivers) etc.