Goofball_star_dot_etal wrote:
On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:53:50 -0400, Larry wrote:

Goofball_star_dot_etal wrote:

Give it a rudder so it can become the happy little second-order system
it was born to be.
Well, you can't add a rudder to a jet boat.

Try to remember that you sold that boat last year and want to control
a boat with a 15 hp Yamaha outboard at "trolling speeds (about 1 knot
or 1.5 mph)"!! with an autopilot which expects a certain (range of)
yaw rate proportional to the control input, not a pig dominated by
small forces and relatively large moment of inertia.

Yes, I understand, but how would you add a rudder to an outboard? Or do
you mean use the steering mechanism as a rudder? (actually, the big
engine is a Yamaha, the 15 hp is a Suzuki)

I would assume that any autopilot would net out yaw, but I don't know
and don't want to pay all outdoors to find out. Are you saying it's a
large factor?

I fish northern New England lakes - yaw isn't a big factor. Also, I am
not a commercial fisherman - I fish for fun. If the weather goes south,
I generally head in.
--

Larry R
rapp at lmr dot com