For many gassers I have heard the same comment and can't say it's too far off the mark.
While certainly not true of many high speed gassers, enough have that charachteristic that are dogs at docking...so its the logical go to explanation.
I would love bigger rudders. They are so lethargic even at my 8.5 it cruising speed. I would definitely like larger rudders someday.
When docking, idling the engines and using forward and reverse only isn’t enough. I often have to use at least 1000 RPM in both forward and reverse to really make anything happen or to overcome any kind of wind. I do bring the engine to idle before shifting, then bring the rpm back up again if need be.
I’ve been told 1200 rpm is safe in reverse. Is it the prop or the transmission that doesn’t like much rpm in reverse?
When in idle (3kts) I have very little control with the rudders. This makes maneuvering in tight marinas more stressful than I feel it should be.
My old marina was tight. I feel like riddlers should be able to control the boat in idle. For me the most part they do, but I would often have to use two full turns on the wheel to make a slight correction. And even still I’d have to use power or transmission to help.