Sportsman PDL Control Knob

The rudder control knob for an Old Town PDL boat. This PDL control knob assembly is the deluxe trucker-style knob with a screw-down lock, and it replaces the standard control.

What the PDL Control Knob Lock Does

The screw-down feature is the reason to have this one. Set your rudder where you want it, tighten the knob down, and it stays — instead of creeping off course as you pedal and having to be nudged back every few minutes.

On a long crossing, or trolling a straight line, or holding an angle against a crosswind, locking the rudder off is the difference between steering constantly and steering once.

Why a PDL Control Knob Fails

It is the most-handled control on the boat, it lives in the sun, and it takes a sideways load every time you turn. The usual failures are a cracked knob, a stripped thread, or a lock that no longer bites.

None of those are worth living with — a rudder you cannot hold is a boat you are fighting all day.

Which Boats

All Old Town PDL models: Sportsman PDL 106 and 120, Salty PDL 120, BigWater PDL 132, Predator PDL, Topwater 106 and 120 PDL.

If your boat is an ePDL+ or a Minn Kota AutoPilot, check with us before ordering — the steering arrangements differ and we would rather look than guess.

Fitting

It is an assembly rather than a bare knob, so it replaces the whole control rather than just the grip. Straightforward with hand tools, and we are happy to do it at the counter if you bring the boat.

While you are in there, put some corrosion protection on the rudder cable and the linkage. A stiff cable makes a new knob feel no better than the old one, and stiff cable is usually the actual complaint.

Details

• Old Town PDL control knob assembly

• Trucker-style knob with screw-down rudder lock

• Fits Old Town PDL models

At our Clearwater shop.