Tiller or wheel for bluewater?

[Graham376]

One advantage of a wheel is that a powerful inboard autopilot can be mounted on the quadrant whereas most tiller boats don't have one and tiller pilots are in many cases under powered and prone to water ruining the circuit board. When single handing on smaller boat I much preferred tiller but now with larger centre cockpit, it's not an option.

 

[GHA]

Not at all - we live almost always on the hook but when we do go into tight harbour wall spaces that’s the only time the convenience or effectiveness of the steering actually matters.

Not really a common 'bluewater' berth around the world, maybe in Greece/Turkey. Many bluewater boats will have a nice big long keel anyway, no really matter if it's a tiller or wheel, still guesswork going backwards. Just don't go backwards, much easier

 

[RupertW]

Not really a common 'bluewater' berth around the world, maybe in Greece/Turkey. Many bluewater boats will have a nice big long keel anyway, no really matter if it's a tiller or wheel, still guesswork going backwards. Just don't go backwards, much easier

Weirdly I think we are agreeing with each other that the steering method for blue water boats only occasionally matters. Of course your assertion that many blue water boats will have a long keel is true but they are in a very small minority as more practical blue water boats have been developed since the 70s.

 

[GHA]

One advantage of a wheel is that a powerful inboard autopilot can be mounted on the quadrant whereas most tiller boats don't have one and tiller pilots are in many cases under powered and prone to water ruining the circuit board. When single handing on smaller boat I much preferred tiller but now with larger centre cockpit, it's not an option.

Bluewater boat will much more likely be windvane though, easier to fit with a tiller. Maybe more important is the rudder - nice protected skeg/transom hung & tiller without doubt is a safer way to go with the amount of rubbish you'll run over

 

[James_Calvert]

Which system is better at surviving an orca attack?

Obviously pintles, gudgeons, and the rudder shaft and bearings are directly at risk, but assuming these are man enough, what about the tiller head, and in more sophisticated setups, the mountings for wheel steered gear?

 

[E39mad]

If having a wheel for bluewater cruising I would have an autopilot that has a separate arm driving the quadrant so it acts as an additional emergency steering system should the main system fail or need maintenance whilst disconnected. Emergency tillers are nasty things to use for long distances.

 

[srm]

I understand the convenience of an autopilot available at the touch of a button and the relative efficiency of driving the rudder quadrant. As an occasional charter skipper operating in coastal waters such a set up was great. It allowed me to manage a largish yacht when the paying guests lost all interest.

However, the OP mentioned 'blue water". Those who advocate electric steering also need to consider how the electricity will be generated and the systems maintained. The autopilot is totally dependent on the boat's electrical systems, though many people will accept it as the norm.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I have had boats with tillers and wheels. In my opinion: Tiller for smaller boats and short distances ; Wheel for bigger boats and long distances. Autopilots/Windvanes are a must for both tiller and wheel.

 

[geem]

Weirdly I think we are agreeing with each other that the steering method for blue water boats only occasionally matters. Of course your assertion that many blue water boats will have a long keel is true but they are in a very small minority as more practical blue water boats have been developed since the 70s.

A very common bluewater boat you see regularly are the Oysters in various sizes. Not a long keel in site. Its surprising how many USA flagged Oysters you see in the Caribbean.
In the Azores this summer we saw many yachts arriving from the Caribbean. Very few long keel boats making that ocean passage. A pretty mixed bag of blue water boats and AWBs with about 5-10% multihulls. Most multihulls seem to get a ride back to Europe on a ship

 

[dunedin]

One advantage of a wheel is that a powerful inboard autopilot can be mounted on the quadrant whereas most tiller boats don't have one and tiller pilots are in many cases under powered and prone to water ruining the circuit board. When single handing on smaller boat I much preferred tiller but now with larger centre cockpit, it's not an option.

Tiller fine for a small boat (under 35 foot?) but agree that for a bigger boat, the key thing is autopilot ram fitted below deck onto the quadrant. Which tends to be easiest on boats with wheels.

Modern autopilots are massively better at steering than most humans (particularly in the dark), and even more so compared to wind vanes. There will be exceptions, but most surveys I have seen is that almost all boats with wind vanes also have electronic autopilots, to handle motoring and light downwind conditions, for which vanes can struggle badly.
So you need to buy a good autopilot. Next on the list is a good water power generator, which solves any autopilot power issue as well as meeting other power demands.
Once got these (and some reasonable spares for both), why spend even more on a wind vanes steering. Appreciate not a comprehensive survey, but on the ARC I did the wind vanes had higher percentage breakages than the modern autopilots.

 

[cherod]

Do you want to stand up or sit down for 3,000 miles?

A wind vane is the right answer.

Which boat, what rudder? There might be a good argument for keeping things simple if your budget isn't high, ie tiller and transom mounted.

thats the crux,,, depends on whither short maneuvering or holding a course,, so much easier to sit with a foot on a tiller than be standing attending to a wheel for hours on end .. i have wheels but there are times i wish i had a tiller .. ( AP is the answere sure , but that was not the OP question , and sometimes they go wrong , early into a long trip ) but i wouldnt swap !!

 

[river251]

Wheel steering would be my preference but they can come with more maintenance issues and there are many different types of steering systems some of which I would personally avoid.

When I sailed across the Atlantic in a 48 foot centre cockpit boat, the steering system was cable via pulleys onto the quadrant. The steering almost disabled itself as the wires stretched and almost fell off the quadrant. We sorted it just in time.

I prefer a wheel system where the linkage to the rudder is short (such as an aft cockpit boat) and prefer a solid rod system to wire or hydraulic.

Thanks. What boats use a rod system?
Thanks.

 

[ashtead]

It would seem Amel are popular blue water boats so maybe a wheel under a hardtop is ideal solution so the waves can roll down the deck and you stay drier .

 

[blush2]

One advantage of a wheel is that a powerful inboard autopilot can be mounted on the quadrant whereas most tiller boats don't have one and tiller pilots are in many cases under powered and prone to water ruining the circuit board. When single handing on smaller boat I much preferred tiller but now with larger centre cockpit, it's not an option.

Horses for courses. We have a 40ft ex-racer with a tiller. When we bought her she had done the ARC and came with two autopilots, a Raymarine and an Autohelm 2000. One was set up for sailing and one for motoring. (She won her racing class.)

The tiller allows the helm to steer with the tiller between the knees whilst operating the engine controls, taking in the slack in the main halyard, etc.

The autopilot has now been upgraded to allow single handed sailing.

Long distance, we have done a mini Atlantic circuit (Algarve/Canaries/Azores and back) double handed and used the autopilot all the time.

We have also sailed on a mate's boat in the Carribbean with a wheel and it is easy to sit down and steer with your feet on the wheel whilst eating your lunch.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A steering board appears to have served mariners reliably crossing oceans for an age. (-:

 

[cherod]

Horses for courses. We have a 40ft ex-racer with a tiller. When we bought her she had done the ARC and came with two autopilots, a Raymarine and an Autohelm 2000. One was set up for sailing and one for motoring. (She won her racing class.)

The tiller allows the helm to steer with the tiller between the knees whilst operating the engine controls, taking in the slack in the main halyard, etc.

The autopilot has now been upgraded to allow single handed sailing.

Long distance, we have done a mini Atlantic circuit (Algarve/Canaries/Azores and back) double handed and used the autopilot all the time.

We have also sailed on a mate's boat in the Carribbean with a wheel and it is easy to sit down and steer with your feet on the wheel whilst eating your lunch.

Must put a comfy seat on that list ??

 

[geem]

Must put a comfy seat on that list ??

We use bean bags made from old sails, filled with polystyrene beads. You can have a comfy seat anywhere in the cockpit or anywhere else you fancy. We love them

 

[cherod]

We use bean bags made from old sails, filled with polystyrene beads. You can have a comfy seat anywhere in the cockpit or anywhere else you fancy. We love them

Food for thot ? , but my old sails are still up the mast ??☹

 

[Rappey]

I quite like my friends rustler, hydraulic wheel steering , transom hung rudder so the emergency tiller just goes in where the tiller should, or use the tiny handle to tiller steer using the hydrovane. A hydraulic autopilot and a tiller pilot to connect to the hydrovane steering if required. That is a lot of options and reduncancy

 

[john_morris_uk]

....transom hung rudder so the emergency tiller just goes in where the tiller should

Whats the ‘should’. I don’t understand your logic.