rudder angle

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seattleboatguy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
327
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Slow Bells
Vessel Make
Marine Trader 38
My twin screw Marine Trader 38 has hydraulic steering, and it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that I would greatly benefit from knowing when my rudder is centered. What are my options to make that happen?
 
If you have an autopilot they can often be fitted with a rudder angle indicator that shows on the autopilot display. Some chartplotters also have that capability. If either work for you, then you need to get an indicator from the manufacturer of the autopilot/chartplotter and hook it up. I have never seen a stand alone rudder angle display, but I suspect that they exist. Check Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad, etc.

David
 
Install a rudder angle indicator. The sending unit is attached to the rudder post and then there is a remote indicator. Garmin is one of many makers.
OR
Knowing how many turns of the helm wheel stop to stop, 1/2 the number of turns should place the rudder at 0 angle. Put a decorative cord on the spoke when the rudder is centered. You just have to remember to count the helm turns.
 
Your AP may already have that feature. What make and model?
 
My broken rudder indicator needs to be fixed! Find a properly operating indicator to be very useful. Didn't need one when using a tiller to steer, however.
 
seattleboatguy said:
My twin screw Marine Trader 38 has hydraulic steering, and it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that I would greatly benefit from knowing when my rudder is centered. What are my options to make that happen?
Click to expand...

Are you trying to do it old school (very Basic), or do you want a gauge ?
 
OldDan1943 said:
Install a rudder angle indicator. The sending unit is attached to the rudder post and then there is a remote indicator. Garmin is one of many makers.
OR
Knowing how many turns of the helm wheel stop to stop, 1/2 the number of turns should place the rudder at 0 angle. Put a decorative cord on the spoke when the rudder is centered. You just have to remember to count the helm turns.
Click to expand...

I have no autopilot, but I do have a Garmin chartplotter (model 741). I'll do some homework to find out if I can plug a rudder angle indicator into the Garmin's network. Thanks. As for turns on the helm, it is roughly 5 full wheel rotations from hard-to-port to hard-to-starboard, so the decorative cord is not going to work well for me on this boat. I did use the same idea on my former sailboat, and that worked out reasonably well.
 
siestakey said:
Are you trying to do it old school (very Basic), or do you want a gauge ?
Click to expand...
All I am really interested in is when the rudder is centered. Anything that will quickly tell me that is going to satisfy all my requirements.
 
OldDan1943 said:
...
Knowing how many turns of the helm wheel stop to stop, 1/2 the number of turns should place the rudder at 0 angle. Put a decorative cord on the spoke when the rudder is centered. You just have to remember to count the helm turns.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumb:
 
seattleboatguy said:
All I am really interested in is when the rudder is centered. Anything that will quickly tell me that is going to satisfy all my requirements.
Click to expand...
For a fix now,follow the advice in post 3. You can also operate the boat straight ahead,and mark the top spoke.If you have twins,be sure your engines are at equal output.
Longer term, install a simple rudder indicator gauage.
 
I made one that is very accurate. I bought a universal fuel gage and sender. Hooked the sender up to the rudder linkage and when the gage is showing half full the rudder is centered.Cost under $35.00.
 
seattleboatguy said:
All I am really interested in is when the rudder is centered. Anything that will quickly tell me that is going to satisfy all my requirements.
Click to expand...

Bruce and others have you covered with good ideas


Just a basic gauge and KUS senso can be installed for under $150
 
kenk said:
I made one that is very accurate. I bought a universal fuel gage and sender. Hooked the sender up to the rudder linkage and when the gage is showing half full the rudder is centered.Cost under $35.00.
Click to expand...

Sneaky.

Any hints as to how this was rigged up?

Did you mount the gauge upside down, and does the needle mimic the rudder angle while steering to port or starboard?
 
Kenk’s idea is a good one. The fuel sending unit with a float arm, take the float off and center the sending unit where half full is straight ahead. Should work on both port and starboard. Hard part would be securing the fixed part of the sending unit where half full reads straight ahead.
 
stubones99 said:
Kenk’s idea is a good one. The fuel sending unit with a float arm, take the float off and center the sending unit where half full is straight ahead. Should work on both port and starboard. Hard part would be securing the fixed part of the sending unit where half full reads straight ahead.
Click to expand...

So...instead of the float moving up & down to indicate full or empty, you rig it to indicate port or starboard by moving sideways, right?
 
My Willard works out really well counting turns of the helm.
There’s three turns L to L so going all the way either way is quick and 1 1/2 turns finds rudder position centered. Easy and fast. Both important.

Two turns L to L or four would work too but two turns would require power steering (probably) and four turns is much more helm spining. Sore fingers?

But w/o power steering three turns is probably too fast for most trawlers. But there’s quite a few smaller (less than 33’?) trawlers that could go there.
 
My AT34 has Vessel View by SmartCraft and has a rudder position indicator..... which I find useless because of its location on the display. I added a Garmin rudder position indicator at near eye level. At the same level, I have a Garmin depth sounder indicator attached to a glue, to the inside of the hull, depth sounder.
To me, these two indicators plus a magnetic compass and current paper charts can get you home or to your destination, if necessary.
 
Last edited:
Google: Rudder Angle Indicator
Lots of good possibilities.
 
Something less sophisticated but 100% reliable... my old Boat had some heavy fishing line wrapped around the steering wheel shaft, run up to the dash and over two small pulleys. Then I attached a small plastic ball to it. Simple and foolproof.
 
If you wanted a low rudder angle the first owner should have talked to the boat assembler .

Offsetting the engine to one side, angeling the shaft, is the old way of causing a straight ahead rudder on single screw boats.
 
kenk said:
I made one that is very accurate. I bought a universal fuel gage and sender. Hooked the sender up to the rudder linkage and when the gage is showing half full the rudder is centered.Cost under $35.00.
Click to expand...
Cool idea!
 
stubones99 said:
Kenk’s idea is a good one. The fuel sending unit with a float arm, take the float off and center the sending unit where half full is straight ahead. Should work on both port and starboard. Hard part would be securing the fixed part of the sending unit where half full reads straight ahead.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is how I set it up. The sending unit is on it's side and to adjust the gage all I did was bend the heavy wire that the float was attached to. The needle on the fuel gage shows the exact rudder position. It took a little trail and error to get it setup, but now I find it very accurate.
 
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