What are these?

[Grehan]

Some kind of control wheels, either side of the helm on this lovely 1924 gentleman's motor yacht (twin Gardners) that we've just added to the website.
http://www.french-waterways.com/for_sale/83-motoryacht-paris/



Maybe I should know, but shamefully I don't . . . any answers, please! Thanks.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I've used a similar device to alter the pitch on a variable pitch propeller on a converted Baltic trader. There was no astern gearbox so you engaged gear and then wound the propeller to a suitable f'wd or stern pitch. It made manoeuvring interesting.

Looks like the gentleman's yacht has twin props.

 

[Rowana]

I've seen similar wheels on an RN cutter. The prop only went one way - Ahead. To go astern, you wound the wheel which moved a couple of clam-shells behind the prop to produce astern prop wash.

Think reverse thrust on a jet engine. Same sort of principle.

Edit: look up "Kitchen Rudder"

 

[Poignard]

Kitchen gear it was called (I think)

 

[ferrispeterchris]

I've seen similar wheels on an RN cutter. The prop only went one way - Ahead. To go astern, you wound the wheel which moved a couple of clam-shells behind the prop to produce astern prop wash.

Think reverse thrust on a jet engine. Same sort of principle.

Edit: look up "Kitchen Rudder"

Something in the back of my mind remembers "Kitchener Gear" on RN Cutters.

 

[Skipper_Christoph]

Throttle controls?

 

[sarabande]

there were definitely Kitchener props/gear running around the Dart in the 60s, but they were on the Pinnaces, rather than the cutters IIRC. And heavy soggy jute fenders, too, much in need.

 

[pcatterall]

Like something we had on our 1938 German 'MTB' for compressing the air tank which started ( sometimes) the engine. But they would not need to be right at the helm so suspect more to do with 'driving' as per similar suggestions.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

I am sure the wheels were simply the means of selecting fwd neutral or reverse gear.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ballast tank controls, usually used when the klaxon sounds followed by "Dive, Dive, Dive!!!"

 

[afterpegassus]

Ahead and astern - one for each engine. I have seen these on older Gardeners and Kelvins before the advent of Morse type controls. Wind the wheel forwards a few turns for ahead and back for astern.

 

[NormanS]

Yes, these are Gardner gear change controls. My previous boat had a Gardner 6L3, and that was what she had. It's simply a hand-operated gear pump, which pumps oil into a small hydraulic ram mounted on the side of the gearbox.

With a twin-screw job like that one, when manoeuvering, you needed one hand for the ship's wheel, and one for each of the gear changes, and it helped if you had another two for the speed controls.

 

[prv]

With a twin-screw job like that one, when manoeuvering, you needed one hand for the ship's wheel, and one for each of the gear changes, and it helped if you had another two for the speed controls.

Sounds like a case for a full bridge crew, obeying the skipper's spoken orders, rather than trying to manoeuvre by hand like most of us are used to

"Half ahead both, starboard 20!"

Pete

 

[Grehan]

Thanks folks!