Tiller vs Wheel

[moonshine]

What are the +/- of each in a cruising 34', is there a strong case for one or the other ?

Would appreciate your opinions.

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[Ohdrat]

Think it depends how heavy the helm gets.. Generally I prefer tiller steering but then I'm an ex dinghy sailor.. wheels work better for larger boats or those that have heavier helms..

Also consider how the tiller or wheel would affect the dynamics of the cockpit.. if you have a transome hung rudder then tiller seems a good bet but any after deck between the helmsman and the rudder is needs to be kept clear.. some boats have a tiller that comes up thro the cockpit sole.. I think tillers work better in small cockpits

Wheels and their related steering gear are much more complicated .. therefor harder to fix if something goes wrong.. but make helming more managable in heavier boats..

Also consider whether you want to install tiller/wheel/autopilot.. wheel pilots cost more..

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[Joe_Cole]

On a 34' boat.

Tiller. Cheaper and less to go wrong

Wheel. More expensive and more to go wrong

I agree with the comments about a heavy helm, but if its that heavy then probably something else is wrong, a wheel would just disguise it.

Joe

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[Jeremy_W]

Pros of a tiller:-
- feel
- with a removable extension you can sit up to windward and have a good view
- simplicity: no cables to break or become worn
- easy to fit a tiller Autohem
- easy to link up to a windvane self-steering gear
- if you're moving up from dinghies, easier to use

Pros of a wheel
- takes up less space in the cockpit (whether you'll be sailing a 5-6 berth yacht with 2-3 people or 4-5 is a very big question)
- physically easier
- you can bring instruments, radar repeater, chart plotter repeater &c. together around the wheel to create a control centre
- easier to use if you haven't sailed before
- compatible with a centre cockpit (which is a far bigger question than wheel or tiller)

My strong preference is tiller, but that's because I prefer the feel and am usually crewing undercrewed yachts offshore. If I was tacking round the Solent and having to persuade nephews/ nieces to vacate the leeward cokpit seat before I could tack I'd probably be a strong fan of wheel.

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[Phoenix of Hamble]

To counterbalance the reliability/safety points about a wheel...

If you are sailing with young children a tiller can be a pain in the a*se...

Kids seem to be permanently in the wrong place when you want to tack! /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

And I have always been a little concerned about what happens if you ever were to hit something and the tiller to get slammed right over... would hurt adults legs, but could be quite devastating to a 5 yr old... I know its a minor point, but one worth considering if your plans include salty seadogs of the younger variety....

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[starboard]

Give me a tiller every time...but being brought up on dinghies it is the only way to sail.....wheel's have their place's, mainly on tractors, buses, lorries etc!!!!!

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[davidwf]

Sailed both tiller and wheel, was also a dinghy sailor, had no trouble at all moving to wheel. First wheel I had was slightly too small to sit on side and steer easily. Current boat has huge wheel allowing me to sit out and steer from the coaming.

Tiller, more room in port less room when sailing. In theory easier to reach sail controls but depends on boat layout.

Wheel, less room in port more room when sailing. Can be harder to reach sail controls although that depends on the yachts layout. On mine both Genoa and main controls are in easy reach of helm.



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[TheBoatman]

I prefer a wheel. I find them far more easy to use and on longer watches I don't end up with 6" longer arms as holding a tiller for long periods can be b***y exhausting. As everyone on this forum knows I'm an odd bugger and quite frankly I can "feel" a boat far better when I'm standing up staring straight down the line of the boat. Bottom line is (sorry for the pun) but I can feel better through my feet than my a**s. Probably a leftover from mobo fishing days!

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[BustinAround]

I was in exactly the same camp as you when I first moved from a dinghy to a wheel, I couldn't stand it! However, after a little bit of experience, I'd say that there's actually no difference in the amount of feel you have, its just different.

I now have to say, that I definitley prefer a wheel!

With regards to visibility, yes, a tiller extension does let you have a more comfy position that a wheel usually, but in heavy weather you'd have to move in to brace yourself anyway. A small wheel is definitley not as comfortable to sit with and you might have to adopt an awkward position to be able to see well. If this is the case, get a bigger wheel!

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[flaming]

Tiller up to about 32/4 foot.

Wheel over that. Especially downwind in a blow.

Easier to park a boat with a wheel, especially if the throttle is on the pedestal. Tiller can get very tricky reversing.


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[kingfisher]

"And I have always been a little concerned about what happens if you ever were to hit something and the tiller to get slammed right over... would hurt adults legs, but could be quite devastating to a 5 yr old... I know its a minor point, but one worth considering if your plans include salty seadogs of the younger variety.... "

Alas, the same goes with a wheel. If you spin the wheel, just as a 5 year old puts his hands through the spokes...ouch.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
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[Rob_Webb]

I've just rejected an otherwise lovely (Ron Holland) 35ft fast cruiser because the tiller was just too heavy unless you took great care to set the sails so she balanced perfectly. Any minor deviation and suddenly the helm got heavy which was no good especially for my girlfriend whose arms tire easily - hence we are going back to a wheel where the workload is generally lower and its also easier to step away and let her steer herself for a few seconds at a time than a tiller which seems to drift more readily than a wheel.

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[beachbum]

I used to be indecisive but now I\'m not so sure...

I prefer a tiller under sail and a wheel under power.
Am I weird?

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Nobody is perfect.
I am nobody.
Therefore I am perfect.</font size=1> /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[Jeremy_W]

>> If you are sailing with young children a tiller can be a pain in the a*se... Kids seem to be permanently in the wrong place when you want to tack!

I agree and thought that I'd made this point.

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[Brian_B]

Although I think a tiller usually gives better feel when going forwards. A wheel works better in reverse.

Reversing slowly with a tiller is the order of the day or you'll suddenly have all the weight of the boat on the rudder throwing the tiller across the cockpit.
This is normally much easier to control with a wheel because of the added leverage of the mechanism.

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[snowleopard]

another point no one has mentioned yet is that the second you let go of a tiller the boat goes off course whereas with a wheel it generally stays put, at least for a while. i found it a pain having to lash a tiller or set the autopilot just to reach forward and tweak a sheet.

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[pragmatist]

Not strictly true although I agree that the resistance from wheel steering has some effect - but it does depend on sail set - certainly upwind our Sadler didn't need a hand on the tiller all the time. And it's easier to fit a bit of bungee cord (yes, I'm told I sound like old Des in my passion for finding uses for bungee !) to a tiller.

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK - but serious about not being in the UK !

 

[Clive_Rigden]

Ah! - nothing better than a crisp autumn morning, left hand in pocket, right hand round beaker of something hot and reinforced, pipe in mouth and a tiller between the legs!
Try that with a wheel . . .

<hr width=100% size=1>Khyber<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Clive_Rigden on 08/09/2004 11:12 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[chas]

Wheel any day and I'm also ex dinghy. It gives far more flexibility as to where you can stand/sit so it is easier to keep a good lookout while keeping control of the boat (IMHO). As someone else said, boat tends to keep its course if you leave it. I also find it easier under power.

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[Mirelle]

Tiller

Simpler, more feel, less to go wrong, less weight and complication.

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