Sternwheeler rudder placement ?

[lenelg]

I am currently building a waterline model of a 50 ft sternwheeler by the Marine Iron Works of Chicago (a kit by Kitwood Hill Models). An old catalog illustration, on which the kit is based, shows the rudders mounted at the stern of the hull, ahead of the sternwheel.

But I have also seen a number of examples where rudders are mounted from a cross beam aft of the sternwheel. From my experience as a weekend sailor that makes more sense as the rudders can work against the flow generated by the sternwheel when manuevering at slow speed. On the other hand, the rudders are of course more exposed in this position.

So, how prevalent was the rudder placement between the hull and the sternwheel, and were there operating conditions favoring either choice? My boat is intended to serve an isolated logging camp on the banks of a river in the Pacific Northwest.

Lennart Elg, Akersberga, Sweden

[Delaunay]

 :)Hello and welcome to this Forum;
Not very expert like you, I asked myself the question and discovered in the files of my research of different climes.
Rudder in front of rear wheels.
Rudder behind the wheels.
Rudder forward and behind the wheels
Rudders as above, but with another at the bow of the boat.
I would say that the arrangement of the rudders depends on the function of the boat and its surroundings.
But on our forum, there are specialists who go to answer us in a certain way 
cordially
François

[Bierjunge]

You might want to search the forum for the term "monkey rudders".

Moritz