Throttle position on sailing yachts

[Tallonius]

Hi,

This is something that has puzzled me for years: why is the engine throttle on older sailing yachts usually positioned on the floor or half-way up the wheel pedestal? I recently sailed on a Beneteau 37 which had the throttle half-way up the pedestal and only reachable by stooping and putting your arm through the wheel unless you stood side-ways on which was not always the best place to be. It seems perverse - the sailing world is normally so focussed on practicality. Modern yachts seem to position it alongside the instruments where it's easily accessible in the same way as on power yachts.

Is there a safety reason, perhaps? Maybe to help prevent sheet snagging? Or is it just that older yachts were designed by sailors/boat builders who had no formal design training so didn't see the importance of ergonomics (or even common sense)?

 

[D1bram]

Mine on my old boat (70's Hurley) is on the coaming top, easily in reach at the helm and you can operate it whilst keeping good view around you which is ideal when manoeuvring in close quarters - a good thing with a long keel boat as need every advantage you can get!

My dad has a similar vintage Hustler and his throttle is low down at the front of the cockpit. I borrowed his boat recently and found it unnerving to be approach a berth and stooping down with without any view

 

[bikedaft]

Good question. Has always puzzled me too.

I moved the rope snagging control lever inside a cockpit locker. The locker has to stay open when manoeuvring, but otherwise is shut, so the cockpit is clear for sailing.

I could get a 10 or 12" inspection hatch on the sidewall of the cockpit with removable cover, that's next (as my dad did on his boat...)

 

[flaming]

I've sailed, and parked, boats with throttles in just about every conceivable position.

I much prefer the ones mounted low down to the side of the wheel / tiller. Means you can sit down on the coaming next to the wheel or in your normal helm position with a tiller and have everything in reach.

I don't like the ones with the throttle high up on the pedestal. Makes it much harder to stand to the side of the wheel when reversing, meaning you have to do the undignified climbing round and then facing backwards. Which is fine if you're just going to park that way, but if you're 3 point turning etc means you either have to keep clambering back and forth, or look over your shoulder. Neither are the end of the world, but nothing like as easy as just sitting to the side of the wheel.

 

[Refueler]

My SR25 has the throttle lever smack bang in middle of backrest in cockpit stbd side ... great for access - crap when sitting there .. crap as it catches sheets etc. If you just want to motor - great !

Right under the jib sheet winch !!

My Conqubin 38 has the engine start panel and throttle down low aft stbd between the bench and transom locker ... basically sits in the slot where a wheel would intrude ... its out of way of sheets etc. - but means I have to look and bend down to it and with 38ft of boat in front - NOT what I really want to be doing going alongside. The lever is also at about 035 degrees for neutral because of sitting in that slot - if lever was 000 upright - it would only give about 1/2 throttle movement before hitting bench. Yes - you rely on the CLUNK of in / out gear to know when neutral !

So - yes I tend to agree !!

 

[ylop]

Hi,

This is something that has puzzled me for years: why is the engine throttle on older sailing yachts usually positioned on the floor or half-way up the wheel pedestal? I recently sailed on a Beneteau 37 which had the throttle half-way up the pedestal and only reachable by stooping and putting your arm through the wheel unless you stood side-ways on which was not always the best place to be. It seems perverse - the sailing world is normally so focussed on practicality. Modern yachts seem to position it alongside the instruments where it's easily accessible in the same way as on power yachts.

Is there a safety reason, perhaps? Maybe to help prevent sheet snagging? Or is it just that older yachts were designed by sailors/boat builders who had no formal design training so didn't see the importance of ergonomics (or even common sense)?

Are the modern ones next to the instruments - fly by wire? Much greater flexibility (literally!) in where you put an electrical cable than where you place Bowden cables. Snagging the main sheet might be a reason and perhaps as designs move to traveller forward of companionway that is less of an issue.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Mine is low down on the side of the well of the cockpit. It would be more convenient to have it within easier reach when standing to see over the cabin roof, but where could it go? My boat is tiller steered, so there is no console on which to mount it, and what is convenient when on one side of the cockpit is inconvenient on the other! Where it is is well out of the way of sheets; moving it to (say) the cockpit coaming would a) be uncomfortable for anyone sitting and b) catch jib sheets. I did once look into remote control solutions, but backed off very quickly when I realized that a) all such systems are intended for full integration with engine electronics and b) would cost nearly as much as my boat! If someone marketed a simple replacement for the usual Morse control that allowed remote operation, that would be a perfect solution.

 

[B27]

I've sailed, and parked, boats with throttles in just about every conceivable position.

I much prefer the ones mounted low down to the side of the wheel / tiller. Means you can sit down on the coaming next to the wheel or in your normal helm position with a tiller and have everything in reach.

I don't like the ones with the throttle high up on the pedestal. Makes it much harder to stand to the side of the wheel when reversing, meaning you have to do the undignified climbing round and then facing backwards. Which is fine if you're just going to park that way, but if you're 3 point turning etc means you either have to keep clambering back and forth, or look over your shoulder. Neither are the end of the world, but nothing like as easy as just sitting to the side of the wheel.

I agree.
I like to be able to control the throttle easily while looking over the side of the boat at a low pontoon or mooring buoy.
That's when most subtle control is needed.

 

[Roberto]

I once went on a boat which had the lever perpendicular to the centerline, shifting to port meant forward and shifting to starboard meant reverse; the boat had prop walk to port so it was a very odd sensation to put the lever to starboard and seeing the boat reversing with the stern going to port.

 

[14K478]

I have never thought twice about it. Reaching through the wheel seems a bit odd; one reaches over the rim.

Thank you Ray Wall and Camper & Nicholson.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This is where I fitted my engine controls The steering pump and wheel fits on top

https://flic.kr/p/VKmm8M

The stainless steel box is my gas locker and helm seat

 

[oldbloke]

There seem to 3 possible positions. Where the sheets catch it. Where the crew catch it. And , in most boats, where both catch it. An easily demountable one, ?winch handle, would be nice

 

[flaming]

There seem to 3 possible positions. Where the sheets catch it. Where the crew catch it. And , in most boats, where both catch it. An easily demountable one, ?winch handle, would be nice

I have the demountable one. I never demount it. Scared of losing it!

 

[mrming]

We had a winch handle operated throttle on a race boat. Very handy but also prone to falling out at inopportune moments.

 

[Refueler]

I once went on a boat which had the lever perpendicular to the centerline, shifting to port meant forward and shifting to starboard meant reverse; the boat had prop walk to port so it was a very odd sensation to put the lever to starboard and seeing the boat reversing with the stern going to port.

My Soviet motor boat ... I removed the original two lever arrangement .... throttle and gear. They were basically two metal levers with semi circle friction plates to long wire cables round pulleys .... had a habit of nipping bits of skin of your hands !
Got hold of an Evinrude dual lever unit - but the remote cables were a touch short ... the throttle cable is fine - but gear cable needs another foot or so ..
I fitted them anyway .. so throttle works correct direction but gear lever is reversed ! Pull back to go FWD ... push fwd to go ASTERN ... interesting when you have brain fade !

One day I will buy the longer set.

 

[Stemar]

Jazzcat's set up like a mobo, with twin throttles within easy reach from the wheel. Pretty good. My old Snapdragon had it low on the side of the cockpit, like AntarcticPilot's. A bit hard to reach when looking ahead, but I just used my foot, so not really a problem. The worst was on a mate's boat, on the aft side of the bridge deck. To port = ahead, starboard for astern or vice versa? I never could be sure which way the damn thing was going to go

 

[Roberto]

This is a temporary fix for when the bl..y lever suddenly begins to slip.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This is a temporary fix for when the bl..y lever suddenly begins to slip.

This is how local taxi drivers steer the taxi when the taxi steering wheel get stolen

 

[14K478]

It would be very wrong of me to remember doing a rapid lash up on the boat’s steering wheel at sea…

 

[James_Calvert]

A tip if you like to control the lever by kicking it to and fro (to save losing situational awareness when bending down into the cockpit)....

Use your toes to grip it instead.
(Discovered on a warm day this year)