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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Linking Outboard to Tiller

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fredhillmann
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/30/2013 : 05:39:51

Has anyone attempted this? Conceptually it seems feasible, but the details are daunting (to me, at any rate).

Fred Hillmann

Fred

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 06:33:19

This is a pretty popular idea. Do a search on "soft link" and I think you'll find more than you'll need on the subject.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 07:02:19

I thought that this would be key when I first bought my Catalina 25, but then I got a lot more practice docking. Unless you are having severe problems I'd suggest delaying on it. The extra complication is unnecessary in most cases.

The important thing is that if you steer with the motor (helpful in reverse) then you need to hold the tiller straight so that the rudder doesn't flop over to one side. In most conditions you can just leave the motor pointed straight and steer with the tiller though.

When you get around to docking an inboard boat you'll find that any techniques that you picked up that didn't involve steering with the motor will be helpful with the inboard. You can even use prop-walk on the outboard to help walk your stern into position, just like with an inboard.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 07:31:55

I agree with Alex, wait until you get more experience, then decide. Although I don't use a link, nor do I need one, of the set ups I've seen, rudder angle is significantly reduced thereby reducing tight area maneuverability. For example, when I'm pivoting between the boats in my marina, I've only a few feet of clearance on each end and will have the rudder hard over so it is nearly flat to the stern. This allows me to pivot as if my keel were the point of a spinning top. Less rudder angle would result in more of an arcing turn than a pivot.

Additionally, and again for tight maneuvering, when backing out of my slip, I come to a point in my process where my rudder's tiller is pointed one way while my outboard's tiller is hard over in the opposite direction. In this case, I'm using the outboard as a stern thruster to quickly kick the aft end over and to slow/stop my momentum.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.