Tiller steering = Stiff neck

LONG_KEELER

LONG_KEELER

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One of the benefits of wheel steering is facing the direction you want to go.

With tiller steering , the body is facing sideways to the direction of travel , but the head , facing forwards ,is cranked at an angle of 90 degrees. As I age, my neck/back is starting to suffer.

I need to find a solution from the experience and wisdom that is abundant on these forums. Preferably by Tuesday of next week when I'm off again.

I have a built up area of around 9 miles sailing before I reach the open sea .
 
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LONG_KEELER said:
One of the benefits of wheel steering is facing the direction you want to go.

With tiller steering , the body is facing sideways to the direction of travel , but the head , facing forwards ,is cranked at an angle of 90 degrees. As I age, my neck/back is starting to suffer.

I need to find a solution from the experience and wisdom that is abundant on these forums. Preferably by Tuesday of next week when I'm off again.
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I prefer to sit on the lee side when steering .Sometimes I sit on the cockpit locker, facing forward, with my legs raised.

Another solution, which will cost you money, is to fit a windvane. Then you can sit where you like.
 
OR…..if sailing upwind, well heeled, which is when I find twisted body / stiff neck syndrome a problem: effectively stand, with your feet in the angle between cockpit sole and leeward side bench face, one foot in front of t’other, and rest your hip against the top corner of the windward side bench. Your weight is taken by your legs. Your body faces forward - and is stabilised by the pull of the tiller, against your arm. Your arm can be left straight, so no pulling on shoulder muscles, which I find can also cause a stiff neck. Adjustment to tiller made by leaning body from side to side, using powerful back muscles.
The other thing, which I’ve found helps avoid a stiff neck, is to keep it warm and out of the windchill, by wearing a winter type neck tube. Even on quite summery days.
 
With my tiller, I only get a problem when sailing downwind, the only time when I would prefer to have a wheel. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I can’t remember ever having had a problem when beating. My cockpit allows me to brace myself with a foot on the seat opposite, and I usually put the other foot on the mainsheet track which is conveniently placed above the cockpit sole just forward of me. I don’t know what the solution is. Probably the best interim answer is to get into the habit of looking around regularly and do neck exercises, even if this looks a bit silly.
 
As well as wearing a neck-tube to keep the wind off it, how about spending a few minutes before casting off by doing general gentle neck and upper-body stretching and warming-up exercises - rolling, rotating, tilting in all four directions, etc - which should release any pre-existing tension and limber up your neck in advance.

And here's a question (hoping not to teach you to suck eggs!): how well-balanced is your boat when beating? If there's too much weather-helm, that's not going to help with the tension in your arms, which will telegraph straight into your upper torso and neck.

Also try sitting on the leeward side (which I often do), in which case you'll be gently pushing on the tiller rather than pulling.

I.E. experiment with all of the above to see what makes the biggest physiological difference.
 
If you can, stand up facing forward with the tiller behind you in your hand, or in your bum. Yes, you can maintain a course like that.

The mainsheet should be to hand in front of you, and the genoa sheet winches just off to one side or another.

Leaves you a hand or two free for your coffee mug or bacon sarnie that way.
 
Sandy said:
An autohelm, windvane or sheet to tiller steering.
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I too have experienced the neck stiffness, and it is a real problem for my wife. I really like the sheet-to-tiller steering idea mentioned above, especially for a smallish boat, and may try to set that up for longer passages. I would definitely consider a wind vane for a larger yacht. I think I would miss the feel of the vessel that you get through a tiller if I had a wheel, however.
 
As others have said I often stand facing forward with the tiller either behind or to one side. Find I get a better view of what is going on particularly in busy areas.
But then again I also use wind vane steering - and my boat is small. It saves one from the tyranny of the tiller and frees you up to navigate, check the chart, make a cuppa, grab a bite to eat, even have a pee.
 
When not healed that much I often sit sideways on the cockpit seat - body and head facing forwards and probably with one leg tucked under me.

Plus I use many of positions others have mentioned above
 
MADRIGAL said:
I too have experienced the neck stiffness, and it is a real problem for my wife. I really like the sheet-to-tiller steering idea mentioned above, especially for a smallish boat, and may try to set that up for longer passages. I would definitely consider a wind vane for a larger yacht. I think I would miss the feel of the vessel that you get through a tiller if I had a wheel, however.
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I set up sheet to tiller in my last boat, with the current one I have a hydraulic wheel there is zero feedback through the system! I need to look at the rudder stock ir the rudder indicator system.

On the last boat I'd often set up the sheet to tiller for even short passages as I am usually single handed. Can't wait to install the Hydrovane in the winter of 2021/22 as I'm planning an Azores trip next summer.
 
Babylon said:
And here's a question (hoping not to teach you to suck eggs!): how well-balanced is your boat when beating? If there's too much weather-helm, that's not going to help with the tension in your arms, which will telegraph straight into your upper torso and neck.

Also try sitting on the leeward side (which I often do), in which case you'll be gently pushing on the tiller rather than pulling.

I.E. experiment with all of the above to see what makes the biggest physiological difference.
Click to expand...
I seldom steer from leeward, except in very light winds. Although my helm is very light, the act of steering from leeward involves pushing instead of pulling, and one's flexor muscles are much stronger and better adapted to prolonged use. In fact, the act of steering is something of a misnomer in that it implies an action similar to steering a car when in practice it is much more effective to regard it as balancing the boat and letting the boat steer itself. inexperienced and rough sailors always apply far too much input, which is ineffective and tiring.
 
Does anyone actually sit behind the wheel and drive it like a car?. I am usually on the windward side so I can see the sails and where I am going. The posture is pretty much the same wheel or tiller.
If the weather helm is too much of a strain, use a rope to give a 2:1 purchase
 
One of the joys of a boat which is pointy at both ends is that the cockpit coamings come together at the back, so I usually helm sitting diagonally across the cockpit with my back propped up on one side and my feet on the other. On my last boat, which had a transom, I'd sit with my back against the pushpit and my legs up on the bench, untwisted altogether.
 
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