Tips for handling small yacht with outboard?

[PhillM]

So, I have yet to cast off my little Corribee and have a play with her under power. My last boat and indeed, every other boat that has had a motor, were inboard. So, an outboard is new territory to me.

I would like to hear hints and tips about how to manoeuvre in close quarters. For example, should I lock the outboard and use the tiller or lash the tiller and use the engine to steer?

 

[graham]

So, I have yet to cast off my little Corribee and have a play with her under power. My last boat and indeed, every other boat that has had a motor, were inboard. So, an outboard is new territory to me.

I would like to hear hints and tips about how to manoeuvre in close quarters. For example, should I lock the outboard and use the tiller or lash the tiller and use the engine to steer?

For normal steering I allways locked the outboard and steered with the yachts tiller and rudder.

Just treat it like an inboard when manouvering.Unless you have a "high thrust" prop you wont have as much stopping power when manouvering so practice on an empty pontoon if you can. Good Luck.

 

[lustyd]

On my Vivacity at low revs the outboard would vibrate and spin itself so I always wanted to tie it off. I never did, because in close quarters it was unbelievably useful to use the outboard as a stern thruster! Give it a go and see how you get on, little boats are very forgiving and you'll soon find your preference on that boat.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We are outboard powered, on a 30ft tri weighing 2 tons. If we didn’t have a high thrust prop we’d be ramming pontoons all over the solent. Ours has high blade area, x 4, and a 5” pitch. It has a removable strut to link to the tiller. You take that off when sailing, obviously. The link enables the boat to pretty much turn in her own length, foward or reverse. I find the link most useful when ferrygliding into our berth, which is maybe 10ft spare at each end, but between 2 other very beamy multihulls. The technique is to use the motor to drag the boat in, backwards against the tide, with the wind taking care of the bows, if it feels co operative. The geometry of the link is found by a bit of trial and error, but well worth it.

 

[CM74]

Definitely find a bit of clear water and have a play around - as a starting point I'd suggest for very low speed manoevering when the rudder doesn't do much (though this depends on the boat) to use the outboard like a thruster, especially going astern! You may find though that when going ahead at least even at very low speeds the rudder is more useful (again, boat dependent) but the outboard could be useful for an initial kick sideways off the berth

It's the thing about having an outboard that I miss - the point&shoot steering going astern is so useful...
Maybe if you had one on each side you could walk it sideways

 

[chris-s]

Where is the prop in relation to the rudder? If it is not in front then you will have little rudder control until you start getting water moving over it. On our Pegasus 700 the outboard sits in front the rudder so we do not suffer from that and generally leave it locked centrally but being able to turn it and use it as a thruster is great for close manoeuvres.

 

[Tranona]

Looks like your outboard is on a bracket on the transom aft of the rudder - probably the worst of all set ups! Probably need a tiller extension so you can steer with the outboard as no prop wash over the rudder means no steerage at low speeds. Pretty sure other owners will have advice on how best to use what you have got. Remember in the dim and distant fitting a Seagull inboard into various Newbridge boats including the Corribee and it worked rather well - when it worked and did not corrode away!

 

[onesea]

Go play in open waters, I would start off tieing one tiller or other to get a bit of a feel.

Once confident with the basics you can pulling of some stunning manoeuvres using both.. Time and practice..

 

[wombat88]

As mentioned, the main thing to remember is that you will have no brakes.

 

[PhillM]

Thanks everyone, yes the outboard is on a bracket on the stern. I suspect no steerage from the rudder at slow speeds.

Methinks that using the outboard to steer in close quarters but locking it central and using the tiller when motoring in open water may be the answer. But as suggested, time to go for a play.

 

[steve yates]

I have an outboard on a bracket on my 18footer, I find that the friction lock is never toght enough to prevent you moving the ob head if you have to, and that I use the rudder for forward steering and in tight spots use the ob motor itself in reverse for manouvering.

 

[Stemar]

On occasion, the inboard engine on my Snapdragon 24 wouldn't play nicely, so I'd use the tender OB on a bracket. Under way, I'd lock it and use the tiller, but manoeuvring in a tight spot, the ability to direct the thrust was invaluable. Unless going astern, I'd leave the rudder to do its thing - you don't want it fighting you, just make sure you keep out of the way of the tiller, or vice versa.

 

[Blueboatman]

You will be fine
Just steer with one hand on the tiller or tiller extension and the other on the motor arm , facing aft , (not as daft as it reads, try it please!)
and you will park that Corribee backwards , sideways, crosswind, tail wind, turn in its own length , anything really!
ps I had one too
When I fitted wind vane self steering on the centreline, I moved the outboard lifting bracket to the port quarter , the motors steeringarm now just touched the inboard face of the pushpit leg… so, the pushpit leg now kept the motor pointing straight ahead when running, quite handy. To turn I just lifted the motor steering arm a few degrees to clear the pushpit leg. (Quicker to do than to write about)
The inboard performance was dire. A long leg 5hp pushed it along effortlessly and was much much quieter and vibration free too. Pop a 100l flex water tank where the inboard would go, and a 100a/h battery +holder, job done !

 

[jamie N]

What outboard do you have?
Mine's a 2.3hp Honda, which is my much preferred method of manoeuvring around a marina as it's a 360° directional thruster in those close quarters.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

What outboard do you have?
Mine's a 2.3hp Honda, which is my much preferred method of manoeuvring around a marina as it's a 360° directional thruster in those close quarters.

I’ve had a boat where you could pivot the outboard independently of the rudder, well in that instance it had 2, but I found it a bit like rubbing your head and stomach in opposite circles. Maybe just me of course, but it’s why I like them linked. You lose a tiny bit of flexibility, but less chance of a cock up.. obviously it only works if you have F-N-R, not an always driving forwards motor.

 

[Boathook]

Thanks everyone, yes the outboard is on a bracket on the stern. I suspect no steerage from the rudder at slow speeds.

Methinks that using the outboard to steer in close quarters but locking it central and using the tiller when motoring in open water may be the answer. But as suggested, time to go for a play.

Basically what I do but my outboard is connected to the steering. As it is one without a tiller, all the engine controls are by the helm and I treat it like an inboard. When in open waters, ie outside a harbour I 'lock' the engine steering as I don't need to turn in a boat length. This also makes the steering lighter.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Basically what I do but my outboard is connected to the steering. As it is one without a tiller, all the engine controls are by the helm and I treat it like an inboard. When in open waters, ie outside a harbour I 'lock' the engine steering as I don't need to turn in a boat length. This also makes the steering lighter.

I don’t have the facility to lock the engine. I should maybe put a bracket on to take the link strut and use that for a ‘straight ahead’ lock. As you say, the steering will be lighter, and it would hold the engine when it’s raised. Otherwise our layouts are very similar, I have no engine tiller, and a remote in the cockpit, just like a real boat.

 

[Daydream believer]

Where is the throttle control? If it is only on the side of the steering arm & you have to lean over the stern to adjust it then you may as well steer with the engine. But having never used one on the stern i may be wrong. My first one was in a cockpit well so was fixed. I steered with the rudder & just reached down to operate the throttle after I had rammed all & sundry.?
That is assuming the Seagull actually started of course, which is an event in itself.?

 

[Stemar]

On my OB. it was on the OB body. I'd set what I wanted and pretty much leave it, as it wasn't easily accessible, but I did make sure the kill cord was within easy reach. Motoring with the OB wasn't a problem, but it did require thinking ahead more than with the inboard to avoid ramming all and sundry. From chugging ahead with the OB locked to emergency full astern took longer than I liked, and meant letting go of the tiller to reach the OB locking screw. Not recommended when things are already going pear-shaped!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

On my OB. it was on the OB body. I'd set what I wanted and pretty much leave it, as it wasn't easily accessible, but I did make sure the kill cord was within easy reach. Motoring with the OB wasn't a problem, but it did require thinking ahead more than with the inboard to avoid ramming all and sundry. From chugging ahead with the OB locked to emergency full astern took longer than I liked, and meant letting go of the tiller to reach the OB locking screw. Not recommended when things are already going pear-shaped!

I have experienced that on a previous boat. Combined with a prop for planing boats, it was crap. Our latest boat came with the link, and the remote control, we changed the prop to a big blade fine pitch one. You need all the help you can get when you’ve got as much windage as us. It’s the easiest multi I’ve owned, to manoeuvre under power, often making me look like a pro in difficult circumstances.