Installing secondary wheel steering joined to outside tiller

[jollysailor17]

Back in the day my Dad had a fishing boat with tiller steering and a secondary wheel mounted inside the cabin and joined to the tiller stock by two cables running on the same side of the cockpit. There was a simple link that could be removed when using the tiller so to avoid the drag of the wheel and when wheel steering we just removed the tiller from the rudder stock. I would like to do something similar on my sail boat but cannot find anybody who offers this kind of thing. Could some kind soul point me in the right direction of a supplier, or suggest how I could fabricate something?
Thanks

 

[marina95]

Edson - http://www.edsonmarine.com/support/wheel_conversion/index.php

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Have you looked at Teleflex Controls

I have a Teleflex rotary system which uses a single push pull cable. At the rudder end of the cable, there is a (almost) quick release connection to allow it to be removed when using the tiller. The wheel requires about four turns P to S.

One point is that you do not need to fit the cable connection on the tiller but can fit it on a small lever about 200 mm long which can actually be at the back of the tiller, you have however to run the cable the wrong way round through the rotary help unit so to speak.

If you go on Youtube and type in the search "TELEFLEX", you will see a number of videos of guys fitting cables etc. Also look at ASAP website for help

http://www.asap-supplies.com/marine/steering-systems

One point is that the cable has quite a large bending radius so make sue you can run the cable and get the bend in the space available.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

More info.

I have just had a look at your details and see you have an Elizabethan 29. Looking at the cross section of the boat on the Liz website, I notice that there is not a huge amount of room and the rudder is at about 45 degrees to the vertical. Not impossible but some points to watch out for.

The Teleflex connection has to be accessible in order to undo the connection. The connection is a small ball joint with a retractable cover. Whilst you could leave it connected, the tiller would be very stiff.

The “push pull cable is quite stiff so cannot be pushed out the way when you are using the tiller.

You could look at extending the rudder stock up into the lazarette but the hull is getting quite narrow so bending radius may be a problem.

Think you would be better using a Tiller pilot with a remote control.

J.

 

[jollysailor17]

Hi J
Thanks very much for your answer. I have been away on the boat for a few days hence my late reply. Much appreciated. I think I might have worked out how to make and fit a vertical whipstaff tiller, which could just work better for me in my rather cramped cabin.