Emergency tiller

[Mike Bryon]

I’ve been researching and came across the ‘Oceansteer’ which around 2015 got good reviews in the yachting press and seemed very good value at less than £0.5K But I can't find if they are still sold. Does anyone have experience of them, know if they are available and from where I might buy one?
General experience or advice on a cost-effective emergency tiller on a 39ft yacht also welcome.

 

[Tranona]

Nick Vass (one of the people involved) is still very active as a surveyor

 

[rogerthebodger]

My emergency tiller fits on a square on top of the rudder shaft so a shaft extension with a square hole can be attaches using a tiller attached to the rudder shaft extension to allow steering the boat when the wheel steering fails

Emergency tillers - Ocean Navigator

 

[srm]

When I bought my Prout catamaran it had an emergency tiller that fitted into the stbd rudder. The boat had been coded for commercial use by the previous owner so this was sufficient to tick the box. Try to use it though and it would only turn the boat to stbd as the pulpit legs prevented pushing the tiller the other way.

Another of my boats was fitted with the original Windpilot self steering gear. This was nice and simple with a semi balanced rudder driven by a vertical axis wind vane. On one rough trip we lost the main steering as a ball and socket joint in the linkage jumped out. Continued sailing with the short tiller on the Windvane's rudder until main rudder linkage was reconnected.

 

[Mike Bryon]

Thanks Tranona i'll see if I can message Nick.

Hydrovane as an emergency rudder (and windvane) would be perfect but 6K cost new! Windpilot offer a sos rudder but 2.5K new. Anyone know of lower cost options (other than drogue and pole).
Thanks for replies.

 

[srm]

I bought a used Monitor windvane gear at a sensible price (and sold an Aries). Monitor offer a kit to convert the gear to an emergency rudder.

Don't know the design of your boat but it may be possible to have a semi-balanced auxiliary rudder fabricated at reasonable cost. This could serve as emergency rudder, and give compass course steering with a simple tiller pilot as I did with the original Windpilot.