Quirky rudder position question

[Joesboat]

We are in a new to us marina. I returned to our boat after a month away and found our helm all the way over to starbord and it took a little force to get it off the limit position. Rudder response is fine i think and it doesn't seem to have any play.

 I slept on the boat that night and when my neighbor across the water, a commercial fishing boat left his slip in the night our rudder slammed over to starboard again. Their steering in reverse is similar to ours, when he backs out, his stern usually is a couple feet from ours and then he throttles up in forward and the propwash hits our rudder sending it all the way over with more firce than i would like.

Any ideas? Should i lock the rudder centered using the brake, leave it all the way over, leave it free?
Thanks for any input!!

[Noah]

One vote for lock centered.

[Ron Hill]

Joe : You definitely want to center the rudder and lock it when you are in the slip or anchored!! You don't want the rudder slamming about!!!

A thought

[Jim Hardesty]

Joe : You definitely want to center the rudder and lock it when you are in the slip or anchored!! You don't want the rudder slamming about!!!

I agree with Ron and Noah.  That's what I've always done.
Jim

[KWKloeber C-30 #3573]

I want it locked for a little steadinesx when moving around the cockpit (though mine is way oversized for the C30)  I know of no reason anyone would want to or decide it's a good thing to leave a wheel unlocked, especially if not on the boat.

[Jon W]

Another vote for center the rudder and lock it in place.

[scgunner]

Unless you're really in love with that particular slip I'd put in a request for a slip change.

[Joesboat]

THANK YOU for all of the feedback. We will keep it centered and locked. Sounds like we should have been all along.
 

Unless you're really in love with that particular slip I'd put in a request for a slip change.

This might seem ridiculous , it's one of the scarce slips in a prime socal California harbor. Our slip permit is valued at 6 times the value of the boat. We are happy with both the boat and location. 

[scgunner]

You had to buy your slip permit? Are you in a private marina? I'm in Alamitos Bay in Long Beach it's a public marina owned by the city. There's a small origination fee to be on the wait list then when a slip comes up you only pay a monthly fee based on length. There's no valuation on the slip since you're just renting it from the city. The only place I know of in SoCal where you can buy and sell boat storage are moorings in Catalina.

[Noah]

Perhaps Santa Barbara or Newport Beach? There are some pretty pricey "situations" there.