wheel for a jag 25

Interesting idea - Does yours have an inboard engine? How much room does the mechanism need? Also does your rudder lift? when they dry out the rudder can be resting on the floor.
 
mick butterworth said:
hi folks, bough myself a jaguar 25 with a transom hung rudder and ive thought about installing a binacle.a diy project as money is tight in need of ideas
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Totally unnecessary. Spend your money on something useful, or iyou want a wheel do as Sailorman suggests buy a motorboat.
 
mick butterworth said:
hi folks, bough myself a jaguar 25 with a transom hung rudder and ive thought about installing a binacle.a diy project as money is tight in need of ideas
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The smallest boat I know of with pedestal mounted wheel steering is a Sunflair 27. It seems Ok on that but not actually sailed it. I suspect in a smaller boat it will obstruct the cockpit too much

The only boat I have sailed with wheel steering was a 31ft Westerly Berwick. Trouble there was that the helmsman was stuck at the back of the cockpit behind the wheel with little chance of getting any shelter in rough conditions whereas with the tiller steered version you can duck down and get a bit of shelter from a pram hood.

I have seen pictures of smaller with a motor boat style wheel mounted on the bulkhead. Very awkward in practice I would think not being able to sit facing forward behind the wheel.

Also of course motor saliers with a wheel hous eg Fisher 25 etc , but thats a totally different concept

I cannot think of any good reason to fit a wheel steering pedestal to a Jag 25 and certainly not if its just to incorporate a compass binnacle. If money is tight then thats one good reason not to.
 
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Save your money and learn to use a tiller.

Wheels really only come into their own in yachts over 35ft. If you really want a wheel then I would suggest you change your boat. Fitting a wheel to Jag 25 really would be expensive, cumbersome, complex and unneccesary.

Using a tiller comes as second nature after a few hours. There is far more feel with a tiller than a wheel and it has far less to go wrong.
 
All you will do is ruin the boat: it probably won't work well, it will mess up the cockpit space, no-one will want it when you come to sell it.
 
Agree with all of the above, wasting your time and money. All the boats I have owned have had tiller steering up to the present 32ft. Far less to go wrong and very positive feel on a smaller boat. we are based in France and I am often surprised how many of the French boats large than ours still have tiller steering.
 
the idea is at the moment just an idea,(have 2 broken arms and bruised ribs) ,the boat is outboard powered so loads of room to install cables, the rudder lifts/folds up and no spray hood. Ive seen wheels mounted in front of the main hatch and looks untidy and in the way. have seen a few jag 25 with wheel steering that's what gave me the idea. the compass will be off the floor and there will be some where for the instruments to be mounted (hate to cut holes in the cabin bulkhead) the hole thing could be done over the next 12 months with bits from scrap yards. but i agree with most comments on cost and weather its practical ive sailed a 17ft yatcht with a homemade windvane self steering and it worked well,i like to experiment but a wheel would need holes in places i need to keep watertight
 
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I love wheel steering on my current 42 footer - it would have to be an extreme racer to have anything else at that size but on the 24 footer and 31 footer I owned before the tiller was equally right, and on the 24 footer the best feel to steering I've ever had.

I'm not so bothered about the shelter aspect as I would use Autohelm on tiller or wheel most of the time on long passages or when the weather is a bit foul. Better to be tucked up near the shelter of the main hatch and near the winches unless you are after the last fraction of a knot, or just fancy steering for a bit.

The main convenience of a binnacle in my experience is having the throttle up at waist level so you aren't ducking down at the very moment you are in an intricate parking manouvre - but I eventually got used to not nudging the tiller wildly whilst doing that. I reckon your best investment in a boat that size (after autohelm and good sails )is an icemaker for the drinks when you tie up.
 
mick butterworth said:
the idea is at the moment just an idea,(have 2 broken arms and bruised ribs) ,the boat is outboard powered so loads of room to install cables, the rudder lifts/folds up and no spray hood. Ive seen wheels mounted in front of the main hatch and looks untidy and in the way. have seen a few jag 25 with wheel steering that's what gave me the idea. the compass will be off the floor and there will be some where for the instruments to be mounted (hate to cut holes in the cabin bulkhead) the hole thing could be done over the next 12 months with bits from scrap yards. but i agree with most comments on cost (only need new windows) to finish the structural work
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You will de-value the yacht & make her virtually non saleable
 
the boat will be kept for a few years the idea is to live on her at some point and not to mess things up hence posting my ideas first to get feedback, thanks for the advise you've talked me out of it
 
On my Jaguar 27, very similar to the J25, the compass was mounted in the lower companionway hatch board. Very convenient in that position, but you do have to find a suitable place to store it without damaging the compass(and awkward to fit a compass light).
 
It seems to me that especially on smaller boats with wheel steering the helmsman sits out on the side and uses the wheel a bit like a tiller anyway. Wheel steering only seems to come into its own with a big boat with heavy steering where the mechanical advantage of a wheel is necessary. Any boat with a transom hung rudder can have the rudder modified if not already to give a good amount of ballance so reducing tiller loads. From there a tiller pilot would be a far better way to go if you want shelter etc. good luck olewill
 
mick butterworth said:
the idea is at the moment just an idea,(have 2 broken arms and bruised ribs) ,the boat is outboard powered so loads of room to install cables, the rudder lifts/folds up and no spray hood. Ive seen wheels mounted in front of the main hatch and looks untidy and in the way. have seen a few jag 25 with wheel steering that's what gave me the idea. the compass will be off the floor and there will be some where for the instruments to be mounted (hate to cut holes in the cabin bulkhead) the hole thing could be done over the next 12 months with bits from scrap yards. but i agree with most comments on cost and weather its practical ive sailed a 17ft yatcht with a homemade windvane self steering and it worked well,i like to experiment but a wheel would need holes in places i need to keep watertight
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Sorry about your arms & ribs.Are you planning to sail before or after you heal?
Here is a link to Jaguar 27 & other models.Pics show compass mounted in cabin bulkhead.One pic shows binnacle steering.
This model is a version of the Catalina 27-very common & popular on the left side of Atl.
Google Catalina 27 for other ideas.I make no judgement on steering-it's your boat. Cheers/Len
http://jaguaryachts.co.uk.g8seq.com/j27photos.html
 
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