won't turn in reverse one way 87 supra saltare

[suprasaltareaud]

Hi guys. First post as new member. Recently purchased an 87 supra saltare imported to Australia from the US. Love it love it love it. You Yanks make awesome boats. Problem I have is when in reverse it won't turn one way. Rudder is off centred to prop which makes sense but it just goes straight on full lock or just back from full lock in reverse. Is this common? Is there a fix for it.

Thank you for all the great blogs. I have learnt so much

Jason (suprasaltareaud) (Sydney Australia)

[td in nc]

Welcome! There is nothing wrong with the boat, this is common for an inboard boat, since the prop is in front of the rudder. It takes some getting use to, but once you get the hang of it it is great. Since the boat pulls to one side in reverse you have to plan ahead. Mine pulls to the port (left side) in reverse so as I always approach the dock at a 45 degree angle on the port side then when the bow is a few feet from the dock I put it into reverse and the rear of the boat pulls the boat into the dock. there are other techniques as well, just practice. the only caution is be aware of this as you near a skier/wakerboard in the water. I would recommend keep a safe distance and letting the swim a little until you get comfortable.

[cadunkle]

She'll always back to starboard, that's how inboards work. Little to no steering in reverse. To back straight hold the wheel full right and reverse. As the ass pulls to the right and too far off course give it a brief bump forward full right rudder to staighten her out, then resume reversing. Holding full left while backing and full right when bumping forward helps marginally but I only bother with that if it's real tight. Takes time if you gotta back a ways straight but it's how they all are. Docking on starboard is easy, like td said 45* and use the quirky handling to your advantage to pull the back right up to the dock as you slow. Docking on port is not as fun, try not to do that anywhere busy until you get the hang of it. The first few times you'll probably end up more or less where you wanted to be but just out of reach of the dock. You'll get the hang of it. It takes getting used to from an outboard or I/O but after having an inboard for a few years I prefer how they handle.

From your description it almost sounds like the wheel/rudder won't turn in one direction in reverse. If so then something is wrong, wheel should turn easily lock to lock in reverse (though you will get little or no response). if the wheel won't turn fully in reverse check your rudder and port, could be well worn. Grab the rudder and move fore/aft and side to side. Not sure what is correct or acceptable tolerance but you'll know if it's worn and needs replacing. From the pic it looks like yours is the original rudder. Also check cable and helm for stiffness or looseness.

Aside from that congrats on the boat, I'm very happy with my Saltare. Nice wake and fairly roomy.

[2500HD]

one thing i have noticed recently is if you give it gas in reverse then let it coast in neutral you have steering towards the port side. It will never react like an I/O but i have had great results using this method. Congrats on your new boat.

[suprasaltareaud]

She'll always back to starboard, that's how inboards work. Little to no steering in reverse. To back straight hold the wheel full right and reverse. As the ass pulls to the right and too far off course give it a brief bump forward full right rudder to staighten her out, then resume reversing. Holding full left while backing and full right when bumping forward helps marginally but I only bother with that if it's real tight. Takes time if you gotta back a ways straight but it's how they all are. Docking on starboard is easy, like td said 45* and use the quirky handling to your advantage to pull the back right up to the dock as you slow. Docking on port is not as fun, try not to do that anywhere busy until you get the hang of it. The first few times you'll probably end up more or less where you wanted to be but just out of reach of the dock. You'll get the hang of it. It takes getting used to from an outboard or I/O but after having an inboard for a few years I prefer how they handle.

From your description it almost sounds like the wheel/rudder won't turn in one direction in reverse. If so then something is wrong, wheel should turn easily lock to lock in reverse (though you will get little or no response). if the wheel won't turn fully in reverse check your rudder and port, could be well worn. Grab the rudder and move fore/aft and side to side. Not sure what is correct or acceptable tolerance but you'll know if it's worn and needs replacing. From the pic it looks like yours is the original rudder. Also check cable and helm for stiffness or looseness.

Aside from that congrats on the boat, I'm very happy with my Saltare. Nice wake and fairly roomy.


No. Wheel and rudder turn fine lock to lock. Just something I will get used to.

Thanks for the tips. Will practice on the weekend. Too cold here in sydney australia for skiing and boarding but perfect for cruising and practicing.

[chris young]

Welcome to the forum, but um, when you're talking to the Canucks and northern Yanks, you'll get no sympathy telling us it's too cold to ski anywhere in Oz!

I've had my boat for 2 seasons now and I'm still learning how to handle it. I though I'd try backing in to the dock last weekend, gave up after 5 minutes! I usually dock with the dock on my port, just to keep the waterfront a bit clear, and the prevailing breeze holds the boat off the dock nicely. However, getting the boat to the dock on that side is tough.

[SquamInboards]

Welcome to the forum! As others have said, practice is key. I have found in general that larger inboards are easier to coax in the opposite direction in reverse, and that taking it in and out of gear a lot will help with the tendency to pull to one side. But once you get used to it, you'll love it. Mine pulls to port in reverse, so when I dock (usually to starboard), I swing the stern gently toward the dock and as I use reverse to slow the momentum, it also slows the sideways momentum and I am able to very gently pull up to the dock. Whichever way it pulls, you can use it to your advantage once you get used to it.

[chris young]

Ok when you guys are saying your boat pulls to port in reverse are talking the bow or the stern. Mine, the stern pulls to starboard in reverse. If your stern is pulling to port, I'm assuming you have a reverse (RH) rotation engine?

[SquamInboards]

Ok when you guys are saying your boat pulls to port in reverse are talking the bow or the stern. Mine, the stern pulls to starboard in reverse. If your stern is pulling to port, I'm assuming you have a reverse (RH) rotation engine?

... or LH engine with a 1.23:1 transmission which reverses rotation. RH rotation at the PROP = clockwise rotation of the boat as viewed from above, i.e. stern pulls to port. The pivot point varies depending on the size and design of the boat, which is why some are so much harder to get to go the other way...

[chris young]

Ahhh, that makes sense, I had no idea that there were transmissions that reversed the rotation.

In my case, everything works against me, I have mooring buoy that I use when I'm away that is on my starboard, dock is on port, and prevailing breeze blows me away from the dock, it's a challenge.