Tiller to wheel conversion

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MissIsle

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We have a 28' Benetau with tiller steering.
I know these were offered with a wheel steering option new, many of which ended up as charter boatrs in the US.
Space isn't a real issue either in the cockpit, or in the rear cabin, so has anyone attempted a conversion of this kind, & is there any advice?
 
MissIsle said:
We have a 28' Benetau with tiller steering.
I know these were offered with a wheel steering option new, many of which ended up as charter boatrs in the US.
Space isn't a real issue either in the cockpit, or in the rear cabin, so has anyone attempted a conversion of this kind, & is there any advice?
Click to expand...

Sell the boat & buy another
 
The transaction costs are possibly less than the conversion costs.

It's worth remembering buyers may view a modified boat unfavorably when you come to sell.
 
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MissIsle said:
We have a 28' Benetau with tiller steering.
I know these were offered with a wheel steering option new, many of which ended up as charter boatrs in the US.
Space isn't a real issue either in the cockpit, or in the rear cabin, so has anyone attempted a conversion of this kind, & is there any advice?
Click to expand...

Maybe give the tiller another season to see if you get used to it. They have definite advantages once you're comfortable with them and the load isn't too heavy, which it shouldn't be on your boat.
 
May I suggest you try and have a go on a similar vessel with wheel steering,you might change your mind! No feel,no fun,and a mahoosive encumbrance,plus you will need to carry a reserve tiller anyway, for when the Heath Robinson Whitlock or whatever goes wrong, and you can't get at it. Since you asked...:)
 
jerrytug said:
May I suggest you try and have a go on a similar vessel with wheel steering,you might change your mind! No feel,no fun,and a mahoosive encumbrance,plus you will need to carry a reserve tiller anyway, for when the Heath Robinson Whitlock or whatever goes wrong, and you can't get at it. Since you asked...:)
Click to expand...

My 4 foot wheel works just fine thank you very much :p
 
Single handed tack on a tiller involves holding two ropes in your hands and the tiller with your arse. How will you single hand on the wheel? The space is nicer with a wheel for entertaining, so you need to decide whether you want the boat for the marina or the sea and then either keep it or replace it. Changing it is a very odd option.
 
I bought a near complete pedestal and had Cliff at Winch Servicing fit it as the tie bar and rudder arm needed to be sourced. He is a mine of information and quite busy so difficult to get hold of. The difference is wifey and daughter find it much easier to steer. We left the throttle controls alone to make the conversion easier. We also kept the tiller all be it cut down a bit so that the Raymarine ST2000 could still be used. The ST2000 has enough power to over come the wheel steering quite happily.

http://www.winchservicing.com/p/steering.html

Instead of a compass I mounted a small Garmin chart plotter on the pedestal as no one navigates around the Solent from the chart table unless they are doing Yachtmaster exams.

Image033.jpg
 
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MissIsle said:
We have a 28' Benetau with tiller steering.
I know these were offered with a wheel steering option new, many of which ended up as charter boatrs in the US.
Space isn't a real issue either in the cockpit, or in the rear cabin, so has anyone attempted a conversion of this kind, & is there any advice?
Click to expand...
There are two issues. First, Why do it? There are no benefits in a small boat like that in having a wheel rather than a tiller and a lot of negatives. Wheels start to become useful when you get over about 32' and when the effort required to turn big spade rudders becomes too much for a tiller. Wheels are complicated and make fitting an autopilot an expensive exercise. Expect the only reason why some of your model boats were fitted with it is because the charter company wanted it, and doubt any were sold to private customers. The second is the practicalities. Unless you are able to source a complete rig from the same model of boat you will have to engineer your own solution using standard parts and material costs will be substantial - plus labour.

sailorman's comments were a bit tongue in cheek, but if you really want a wheel, buy a boat fitted with one, but of course it will almost certainly be much bigger than your present boat.
 
Tranona said:
There are two issues. First, Why do it? There are no benefits in a small boat like that in having a wheel rather than a tiller and a lot of negatives. Wheels start to become useful when you get over about 32' and when the effort required to turn big spade rudders becomes too much for a tiller. Wheels are complicated and make fitting an autopilot an expensive exercise. Expect the only reason why some of your model boats were fitted with it is because the charter company wanted it, and doubt any were sold to private customers. The second is the practicalities. Unless you are able to source a complete rig from the same model of boat you will have to engineer your own solution using standard parts and material costs will be substantial - plus labour.

sailorman's comments were a bit tongue in cheek, but if you really want a wheel, buy a boat fitted with one, but of course it will almost certainly be much bigger than your present boat.
Click to expand...

What i stated is exactly what i meant. A totally pointless exercise as the photo shows only too clearly, too much clutter in a small boat cockpit.
 
lustyd said:
... The space is nicer with a wheel for entertaining, so you need to decide whether you want the boat for the marina or the sea and then either keep it or replace it...
Click to expand...

Don't tillers usually fold up out of the way when not in use? (Long time since I used one.) I'm assuming entertaining=stationary, as implied by mentioning marinas. (Other ways of being stationary are available. ;)

Mike.
 
I have converted my Moody31 to wheel from tiller steering as have several owners on the Moody Owners Association website,from where I obtained much information.The M31 had the option of wheel steering when buying a new boat and the rudder shaft has the keyway built in to enable the Lewmar tiller arm to fit.The cockpit floor is also already strengthened.It works on a drag rod principle and I used the Lewmar Cobra pedestal (do a google).
It was easy to fit and set up and we did it in about 4 or 5 hours work and I have overcome the access problem by using a Lewmar folding wheel.It cannot considered to be a lash up as it uses the same parts as the original factory installation,but in my case all new.As per the other M31 owner above I have mounted my chart plotter on the top of the binnacle as I have a bulkhead compass.I opted for the Raymarine SPX5 autopilot as I wanted the facility to switch it on and off as opposed to going down below to fetch the tiller pilot and fix it up.I have cut down my tiller to make the emergency tiller as per the other photo.
The big advantage for me is having the throttle control on the binnacle so I don't have to bend down to foot level for the throttle.I have a dodgy back.
I have sailed and raced dinghies and big boats with tillers for 45 years so I am well used to a tiller, but both I and my crew have remarked how light the wheel is to steer,and I don't have to be hunched over the tiller anymore when going to windward in a blow.I considered selling my boat and buying another one with a wheel but for me it was better to do the conversion as I have invested a lot of money in the boat I have which will see me out until I need a motor boat.
I also have a Winchrite battery operated electric winch handle and several of my friends scoffed at first.Two of them have now bought them.We all agree they are brilliant.It's an age thing.
 
mjcoon said:
Don't tillers usually fold up out of the way when not in use? (Long time since I used one.) I'm assuming entertaining=stationary, as implied by mentioning marinas. (Other ways of being stationary are available. ;) Mike.
Click to expand...

Mike, yes and ours is normally stored vertically when hand steering with the wheel. If want to use the auto pilot then it is folded down. Steering across the channel by hand using the tiller would be an arduous task for 12 hours and having done it by hand steering using the wheel, much easier. We already had the tiller auto pilot or would have gone for a more normal under deck installation. In response to Sailorman, our 10 yr old daughter found it much easier even if she was stood on a step to see over the spray hood. Thankfully for the OP some of us are willing to make worthwhile changes and if a wheel in a small yacht makes an improvement, then go for it, even if it is frowned upon by the purists.

Pete
 
Pete7 said:
Mike, yes and ours is normally stored vertically when hand steering with the wheel. If want to use the auto pilot then it is folded down. Steering across the channel by hand using the tiller would be an arduous task for 12 hours and having done it by hand steering using the wheel, much easier. We already had the tiller auto pilot or would have gone for a more normal under deck installation. In response to Sailorman, our 10 yr old daughter found it much easier even if she was stood on a step to see over the spray hood. Thankfully for the OP some of us are willing to make worthwhile changes and if a wheel in a small yacht makes an improvement, then go for it, even if it is frowned upon by the purists.

Pete
Click to expand...

Yep thats really a safe option.
Our hood folds away
 
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