Emergency tiller

[TonyBuckley]

When I got my latest boat, the emergency tiller was discovered deep in a locker and had rusted away to almost nothing.

Now I have finally got around to looking for a replacement but failed to find any suppliers.

I have no idea what make my wheel steering is, but I have found the access hole for the rudder stock and all looks very standard - just need to measure it.

So if anyone knows where I can buy one from, I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

 

[25931]

When I got my latest boat, the emergency tiller was discovered deep in a locker and had rusted away to almost nothing.

Now I have finally got around to looking for a replacement but failed to find any suppliers.

I have no idea what make my wheel steering is, but I have found the access hole for the rudder stock and all looks very standard - just need to measure it.

So if anyone knows where I can buy one from, I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

Why not get a blacksmith to make one ?

 

[Tranona]

Don't think you will find a ready made one. The boatbuilder (not the steering manufacturer) provides one to suit the layout of the boat and in normal circumstances there is never any need for a replacement. The top of the stock that the tiller fits to is almost certainly a square section and the usual way of making a tiller is to use a square section tube with a tiller welded to it at an appropriate angle to clear any obstructions when in use. The square could be split with a bolt to clamp it up or a bolt through one side to lock it against the stock. You might have enough left of your old one to work out how it was made.

 

[Pasarell]

Mine, original Moody equipment, is a flat bar about 1m long x 5cm wide and 6 or 7mm thick. Square hole one end to go over the rudder post above the quadrant. It is bent twice along it's length to bring the end you hold up to about waist height but still be horizontal where you hold it. All galvanized with a plastic sleeve where you would hold it. To use it you would have to be in the aft cabin with someone outside giving directions. Making it would be basic metal bashing

 

[TonyBuckley]

Thanks to all - sounds like I will have to get one fabricated somewhere.

One thing I don't understand is that I assumed the wheel steering would have to be disengaged first to free up the rudder but I can't see any obvious (and quick) way of doing that. My steering has no belts or cables, it is all mechanical metal linkages.

So if the steering jammed... let's say because a push rod became bent or a linkage seized (it wouldn't!), then I don't see how emergency steering could be achieved anyhow. I have seen a youtube video of someone 'testing' their emergency steering and it was jolly hard work as it seemed to transfer the force to the wheel through the steering system.

So how is this meant to work?

 

[vyv_cox]

I had mine made in stainless steel to my drawing when I lived in Holland. It was not very expensive but the tiller has proved invaluable, not for its emergency use but as a support for our winter cover.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks to all - sounds like I will have to get one fabricated somewhere.

One thing I don't understand is that I assumed the wheel steering would have to be disengaged first to free up the rudder but I can't see any obvious (and quick) way of doing that. My steering has no belts or cables, it is all mechanical metal linkages.

So if the steering jammed... let's say because a push rod became bent or a linkage seized (it wouldn't!), then I don't see how emergency steering could be achieved anyhow. I have seen a youtube video of someone 'testing' their emergency steering and it was jolly hard work as it seemed to transfer the force to the wheel through the steering system.

So how is this meant to work?

I tested mine on a Bavaria 37 with the wheel still connected and it certainly worked at least at rest. Not very powerful as there is not a huge amount of leverage and the binnacle is exactly where you would want to stand to put some weight on it. For real use expect one would rig up lines to the winches to get some more power. Of course if your steering fails through for example one of the connecting joints in the system seizing the tiller will be useless. There is a sense with many installations that the emergency tiller is only there to satisfy regulations (in the past racing and coding, now the RCD) rather than as a real alternative. Particularly difficult in aft cabin boats where the helm operator cannot see where to go!

 

[prv]

So if the steering jammed... let's say because a push rod became bent or a linkage seized (it wouldn't!), then I don't see how emergency steering could be achieved anyhow. I have seen a youtube video of someone 'testing' their emergency steering and it was jolly hard work as it seemed to transfer the force to the wheel through the steering system.

So how is this meant to work?

It must be possible to disconnect the mechanism somehow, even if it's a spanner job? They surely didn't weld it all together.

The video doesn't sound like a very valid test - as you say, you really need to disconnect the mechanism because you're assuming it's broken and possibly jammed.

That said, if yours is an all-rigid system with levers and rods instead of wires, failure seems pretty unlikely in the first place. Wires wear and eventually snap, and can fall off their pulleys and so on, but I'd have thought that a well set up mechanical system ought to just keep going unless it's actively damaged by some external force. And the most likely such forces (heavy grounding of a spade rudder, etc) would probably render the emergency tiller useless too.

Pete

 

[oldsalt]

We had no emergency rudder as such, we did however have a flat sheet of ply for the bosuns chair, drilled a couple more holes and 'D' clips to fix the ply seat to the spinnaker pole.

Worked a treat.

Good luck and fair winds.