Rudder indicator

M

majoma

Member
Oct 10, 2008
284
San Francisco
Boat Info
2000 340, V drive
Engines
Twin 7.4
Not having a rudder indicator I always have problems in setting the rudders straight on my Sea Ray 340 V-drive at low speed when I enter the fairway and use the gears. Does anyone know anything about the Davis rudder position indicator? Thanks.
 
Same boat. No rudder indicator. Before you need the engines to steer, drive the boat straight with the wheel. Pretty simple.
 
I have the Davis and like it. Very simple device that attaches to center of steering wheel. It just so happens to easily remove and replace in my steering wheel, which is critical as it needs reset occasionally.
 
Count the turns of the wheel lock to lock. In a couple seconds you could turn rudder to one side or the other and back off half way for centered rudders.
 
wayne0 said:
Same boat. No rudder indicator. Before you need the engines to steer, drive the boat straight with the wheel. Pretty simple.
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Put an autopilot on the boat. You get the autopilot and a rudder indicator.

Just a thought....

Mark
 
Contrary to popular practice I actually have learned to use my rudders and gearshifts to get to boat to "walk" sideways when backing into the slip. My finger pier is to port and I turn the rudders about halfway to starboard when I begin backing into the slip. When backing in shifting the starboard engine into forward while leaving the port in reverse will cause the bow to swing to port while at the same time kicking the stern toward the dock. Took some practice but very useful in all but the worst conditions.
 
I'll have to give that a try-love backing up those in boards!
 
Contrary to popular practice I actually have learned to use my rudders and gearshifts to get to boat to "walk" sideways when backing into the slip. My finger pier is to port and I turn the rudders about halfway to starboard when I begin backing into the slip. When backing in shifting the starboard engine into forward while leaving the port in reverse will cause the bow to swing to port while at the same time kicking the stern toward the dock. Took some practice but very useful in all but the worst conditions.
Click to expand...

I have yet to be successful doing the 'walk'. I read somewhere some boats are more effective at this than others depending on the direction of prop rotation (both inboard, or both outboard). I know I haven't figured it out yet :)
 
A lot of the ability to WALK a boat using rudders, and twins has to do with the props location, IN a tunnell or hanging out the bottom. the bigger boats with strait shafts haging down low get more walk. compaired to say a 340 with the props tucked up in the tunnels.

If I am unsure of my rudder placement when backing down to idle, I normally give both motors a quick rev in gear to make sure rudders are striat the small lurch you get will be strait or quickly more the bow of the boat so you can check your striatness.
 
I have a rudder indicator, which I finally got to work. It was never critical when parking, but also glad I got it to work.

When it wasn't working, I turned my wheel all the way to port or starboard then countered that to the middle, which was about 2 turns.....
 
wayne0 said:
Same boat. No rudder indicator. Before you need the engines to steer, drive the boat straight with the wheel. Pretty simple.
Click to expand...
I understand what you are saying. Unfortunately I don’t have an area where I can set the rudders straight as you suggested. I have several hard turns left and right to make before entering my slip and it would be nice to know quickly the exact position of the rudders. Also, with the wind blowing strong most of the time, I don’t have the time to turn the wheel all the way to one side and then count the turns to make the rudders centered. Anyway, thank you all for your comments. I will get the gadget and let you know if it is useful or not.
 
majoma said:
I have several hard turns left and right to make before entering my slip and it would be nice to know quickly the exact position of the rudders.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you regarding turns into the marina, but instead of using the steering wheel I got used to using the engines to steer the boat through these turns leading to my fairway.

You can make any right hand or left hand turn by splitting the shifters (one in reverse, one in forward). There really isn't any point in using the wheel once you learn how to drive with twin engines.
 
majoma said:
I understand what you are saying. Unfortunately I don’t have an area where I can set the rudders straight as you suggested. I have several hard turns left and right to make before entering my slip and it would be nice to know quickly the exact position of the rudders. Also, with the wind blowing strong most of the time, I don’t have the time to turn the wheel all the way to one side and then count the turns to make the rudders centered. Anyway, thank you all for your comments. I will get the gadget and let you know if it is useful or not.
Click to expand...

Kevin is right....keep your hands off the wheel and you'll do much better. When I was still in California I entered the marina (Oxbow Marina, Isleton in the Delta) from the river with a left turn, then had a quick right turn, after about 70 yards a left turn down the fairway. Stop the boat, pivoted the boat 90 degrees to starboard and straight into the slip. In all those turns I never touched the wheel. You really don't need the indicator....you just need to practice more slow speed maneuvering.

When my wife took the Power Squadron Skipper Saver Course the instructor told her to think of the boat as a shopping cart. If you want the cart/boat to turn left you push on the right side of the handle, if you want it to go left....you get the picture. If you want the cart to spin in the aisle to go back for more beer you push on the right side of the handle and pull on the left. At the end of the 4-hour course she brought the boat back into the marina, spun it 90 degrees and backed it in between 2 other boats. Maybe you should think about a Power Squadron Class. The USPS has their own island with docks in the Delta. Their classes often allow you to stay at their docks overnight. It would be a nice trip for you from the Bay. Here is a link to their site. http://www.sjdps.org/
In my 50 years of boating I've seen people make docking and slow speed boat handling much harder than it needs to be. You master that kind of maneuvering and you will amaze your friends....and yourself.

Shawn
 
Snapped a few shots today of what the original poster is asking about.

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UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_5aae.jpg
 
Wow Kevin....not even an acknowledgement that he even read our posts. Happy to not be in his marina.
 
NorCal Boater said:
Wow Kevin....not even an acknowledgement that he even read our posts. Happy to not be in his marina.
Click to expand...
No reason to be insulting. I read all of the posts and I appreciate the comments very much. I have been boating for over thirty years owning boats from 34’ to 48’ and I know very well how to drive a twin engine boat by just using the shifters. Because this is my first boat without the auto-pilot and rudder indicator, I just asked if anyone was familiar with the Davis instrument. I didn’t expect people to give me lessons on how to drive a boat.
 
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