Forums > Sailing General

Tiller or Wheel?

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Created by D3 > 9 months ago, 26 Aug 2017
Donk107
TAS, 2446 posts
29 Aug 2017 8:05PM
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Donk107 said..
How about one of these for a bit of both

Regards Don








Interested that no one has offered any opinion on this type of steering (apart from Shaggy who has traveller envy )

What do you all think

Regards Don

southace
SA, 4776 posts
29 Aug 2017 7:57PM
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Donk107 said..

Donk107 said..
How about one of these for a bit of both

Regards Don








Interested that no one has offered any opinion on this type of steering (apart from Shaggy who has traveller envy )

What do you all think

Regards Don


Because it looks weird. Mate has a retired racing boat with both tiller and helm operational.

Donk107
TAS, 2446 posts
29 Aug 2017 8:33PM
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This is from a sailing magazine on the vertical tiller system

The unique helm, called EVS for "Etap Vertical Steering," is a tiller that moves athwartships in a vertical plane. The vertical post is attached by Delrin rack-and-pinion gears to the rudderstock. If you?re accustomed to steering with a conventional tiller, the motion of this one runs counter to everything you?ve ever learned: Push the bar left, and the boat steers left. But as each of our judges learned, any confusion ends quickly. "I really enjoyed steering that boat," said BOTY judge Carol Hasse. "It?s quite responsive, and the helm felt balanced." An advantage of the system is that the tiller?s arc is confined to about 12 inches at the aft end of the cockpit, which feels surprisingly spacious yet still narrow enough that even short legs comfortably reach the leeward cockpit settees when the boat?s heeled.

Regards Don

SandS
VIC, 5904 posts
29 Aug 2017 9:13PM
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noooooooooooooooooooo

cisco
QLD, 12337 posts
29 Aug 2017 10:03PM
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Wheel you usually have to stand. Tiller you usually have to sit.

Tiller is a no-brainer.

shaggybaxter
QLD, 2539 posts
30 Aug 2017 4:27AM
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SandS said..
noooooooooooooooooooo


Hi Donk,
I'm with SandS, that's just weird.
It's probably really good, but I found myself making the sign of the cross when I first looked at it .

Yara
NSW, 1275 posts
30 Aug 2017 9:07AM
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Donk107 said..



Donk107 said..
How about one of these for a bit of both

Regards Don






Interested that no one has offered any opinion on this type of steering (apart from Shaggy who has traveller envy )

What do you all think

Regards Don


This is just a modern version of the whipstaff en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipstaff

Been around for centuries. Don' t like it because its not easy to use sitting down, and standing up would be difficult to control when the boat is rolling.

FelixdeCat
NSW, 234 posts
30 Aug 2017 7:15PM
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That system could be really good on a catamaran where you could use the rack and pinion system to join the two rudders.

Im looking for a way to improve my tiller system. It can be quite heavy under hand and a central system would make it easier to pass the helm between myself and other crew when swapping over.

Sectorsteve
QLD, 2195 posts
30 Aug 2017 7:34PM
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Steering wheel on a car...**** boats over them

PhoenixStar
QLD, 477 posts
30 Aug 2017 8:39PM
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cisco said..
Wheel you usually have to stand. Tiller you usually have to sit.

Tiller is a no-brainer.


Don't understand. Why can't you sit at the wheel? I always do, always have. 4 boats with wheel, 3 with tiller.

Chris 249
NSW, 3350 posts
30 Aug 2017 9:14PM
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cisco said..
Wheel you usually have to stand. Tiller you usually have to sit.

Tiller is a no-brainer.


Many modern wheels allow you to sit. IMHO it's a 50/50, or rather depends on many factors, rather than a no brainer. And that's coming a dinghy sailor who has had a tiller boat for 30+ years.

Chris 249
NSW, 3350 posts
30 Aug 2017 9:15PM
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FelixdeCat said..
That system could be really good on a catamaran where you could use the rack and pinion system to join the two rudders.

Im looking for a way to improve my tiller system. It can be quite heavy under hand and a central system would make it easier to pass the helm between myself and other crew when swapping over.


PM Kankama - he had a whipstaff on a multi and got rid of it. Can't remember why.

cisco
QLD, 12337 posts
31 Aug 2017 12:25AM
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PhoenixStar said..
Don't understand. Why can't you sit at the wheel? I always do, always have. 4 boats with wheel, 3 with tiller.


Most wheel steered boats I have been on require standing. You can stand on a tiller steered boat too.





twodogs1969
NSW, 1000 posts
31 Aug 2017 1:43AM
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We sit all the time on my boat

Donk107
TAS, 2446 posts
31 Aug 2017 6:15AM
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I often stand up when steering mine and rest my other arm on the dodger or lean on the dodger facing forward with the tiller between my legs

I think if you have a tiller it is an advantage to have it long so you can hide under the dodger if the weather is bad and one that will pivot up so it always falls to hand regardless of whether you are sitting or standing

I went for a sail on another Sailmaster a couple of years ago with a short fixed height tiller and found it difficult to get comfortable

On mine when sailing with crew it works best if the person steering is in the front of the cockpit and the person on the sheet winches is behind

Regards Don






Jode5
QLD, 853 posts
31 Aug 2017 8:17AM
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You can see from all the above comments that it really is a personal thing as to whether a wheel or tiller is the way to go. For what it's worth, I go with tiller for racing where you are required to steer by hand and wheel for cruising where you use steer and use auto pilot.

shaggybaxter
QLD, 2539 posts
2 Sep 2017 9:54AM
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Another difference between the two is weight. The net weight gain for Fusion was 300kgs for the two pedestals as compared to the tiller. As you can see they're not overly large either, structural strength added the weight.

This is may be a factor dependent upon the boat type and the helm position. Mine are a long way aft which is not optimal for weight distribution, even though I'm quite beamy to mitigate the weight aft.

Donk107
TAS, 2446 posts
2 Sep 2017 10:36AM
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When I have had a steer on the Jenneau 349 i crew on in the race season which has two wheels I find it a difficult to decide which wheel to steer with when cruising and crew weight position isn't a issue

The last time i think i decided i was more comfortable using the leeward one

Regards Don

kimtrang
55 posts
2 Sep 2017 10:17AM
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I'd really like to the replace the wheel steering on my boat and revert back to the tiller, but the engine controls and compass are on the binnacle, while the CPT autopilot is wheel specific.

I'd save a ton of weight. The binnacle on this boat is massive piece of stainless steel.

PhoenixStar
QLD, 477 posts
2 Sep 2017 12:27PM
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kimtrang said..
I'd really like to the replace the wheel steering on my boat and revert back to the tiller, but the engine controls and compass are on the binnacle, while the CPT autopilot is wheel specific.

I'd save a ton of weight. The binnacle on this boat is massive piece of stainless steel.


Careful, you will never get a tiller pilot as good as the CPT.

kimtrang
55 posts
2 Sep 2017 2:37PM
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PhoenixStar, I have the old not so good version of the CPT.

sirgallivant
NSW, 1531 posts
2 Sep 2017 4:53PM
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It is very individual for sure.
My mates Cavallier 32 has such small space behind the wheel - for me, at 6'2" - while he is a midget, at 5'5" it is perfect.



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"Tiller or Wheel?" started by D3