Why two wheels?

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cmedsailor

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I see lately a lot of new boats below 40 feet (even 36 feet) and having a "usual" wide beam (say 3.70-3.80m) with two wheels.
Is that the new trend (the new fashion)? Do people find them prettier?
Yes, some people claim practicality (don't need to squeeze around the big wheel, or easier to load) but is this the only reason that suddenly many manufactures have started using two wheels in those relatively small boat sizes (sure you need them in a large and wide 45 footer)?
 
Small boats that want excessive internal space solve the problem but having fat rear ends.

Wide bottomed fat boats need two wheels to keep a rudder in the water when heeled.

Creates a nice open transom though.
 
2 Steering wheels

Yes many yachts do have 2 steering wheels one to port one to starboard. This is so that you can steer from the outside or gunwhale particularly when hard on the wind. You sit out so that you can see the jib easily.
I frequently steer my little boat from the leeward side when wind strength allows which gives a really clear view of the jib and when it is starting to luff. I aslo need to steer from high up on the gunwhale to ballance the boat and to see the jib past the mast.
One boat in Oz called a Sydney 38(or larger) solve the problem by having a huge wheel. This can be reached from both gunwhales or at least sides of the boat. The down side is that it must be embedded in the floor of the cockpit and into the sides of the cockpit. Nearly 2 metres in diameter.!! So only a tall person can stand mid ships and look over the wheel. Crazy? not if you want to win races. olewill
 
"Wide bottomed fat boats need two wheels to keep a rudder in the water when heeled."

How do two wheels keep a rudder in the water better than one? I could understand if there were twin rudders but you could control them with one wheel.
 
Chalker said:
"Wide bottomed fat boats need two wheels to keep a rudder in the water when heeled."

How do two wheels keep a rudder in the water better than one? I could understand if there were twin rudders but you could control them with one wheel.
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It's nothing to do with keeping the rudder in the water.
Before twin wheels became common on racing yachts, the best thing was a very big wheel.
This lets you sit on the side of the cockpit facing inboard and forwards, your weight is up to windward, you have a good view of the jib and also of the waves.
Alternatively in light air, you can sit to leeward and get a good view outside the jib. That's handy when on port.
As boats got wider, the size of the wheel got silly, needing a trench in the cockpit floor. The wheel also got vulnerable to damage.
So it made sense to fit two smaller wheels.

I like a boat where you can steer from alongside the wheel, or even in front of it. It makes it much easier to trim the sails. I don't like cruising boats where you cannot reach the mainsheet and helm at the same time.
Whether a twin wheel set up does this depends on how it fits in with the main and jib sheeting winches etc.
 
My own boat has two, but by modern standards the Jeanneau 45.2 is not very broad at the transom. The two wheel setup allows modest sized wheels whilst allowing the helmsman to sit in a position to see forward. The other big advantage is in the Mediterranean, where a lot of boats are kept, because it gives easy access when moored stern to. On most modern broad beamed boats above 40 feet it does seem to be an advantage to have two wheels, as it did on 45 footers designed 15 years or more ago. I am not convinced about having two wheels on smaller boats of less than 40 feet.

As for the issue of having the winches in reach, my boat fails on that count, but in 800 NM of single handed sailing in September & October this year it was never a problem.
 
Why two wheels? It's obvious really-

1968-caraboat.jpg
http://ourtouringpast.com/gallery/manufacturers-photos/1968-caraboat.jpg
 
Norman_E said:
....
As for the issue of having the winches in reach, my boat fails on that count, but in 800 NM of single handed sailing in September & October this year it was never a problem.
Click to expand...

It's more likely to be an issue around the Solent than on a long trip, particularly with a big main for the size of boat. Not being able to let the main out to alter course can be awkward. It just seems wrong to a dinghy sailor!
 
lw395 said:
It's more likely to be an issue around the Solent than on a long trip, particularly with a big main for the size of boat. Not being able to let the main out to alter course can be awkward. It just seems wrong to a dinghy sailor!
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8 years with a main sheet track on the coach roof.

Solent based yacht

No problems

An ex-dinghy sailor

?
 
lw395 said:
It's more likely to be an issue around the Solent than on a long trip, particularly with a big main for the size of boat. Not being able to let the main out to alter course can be awkward. It just seems wrong to a dinghy sailor!
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, the 800NM was not a single trip but spread over 30 odd days of coastal day sailing with plenty of tacking (and some gybing) involved.
 
Bav34 said:
8 years with a main sheet track on the coach roof.

Solent based yacht

No problems

An ex-dinghy sailor

?
Click to expand...

Did it seem weird at first, and then you got used to it?

Nothing wrong with two wheels, so long as you can easily reach the handlebars and pedals.
 
Another consideration about having a single larger wheel is that access to and from the helming postion will be along an exposed side deck.
 
Robwhelton said:
Did it seem weird at first, and then you got used to it?
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No, it was a relief.

My boat before the Bav was a Westerly Tempest

The main track was behind the helm and in a sloppy light wind Solent run would try to throw me overboard if it gybed.

Even controlled gybes were 'interesting'

Its other feature was that even if I stood on the sheet, if the main was overpowered, the sheet would not release. I have been known to jump up and down on it ... just before the boat rounded up.

But apparently rounding up is a modern phenonemum :rolleyes:

Now, the Feeling 286 that we had was brilliant. The track ran across the companionway which was just far enough away from the helm as to be useless but nicely placed so that you stepped on it going below.

Or how about the UFO 27 I had. Right across the cockpit and always in the way.

Nope, it was good enough for Bavaria back in 2001 when my boat was built and it appears to be good enough for modern Southerly's ... but what do Dubois and Humphreys know? :D
 
savageseadog said:
Another consideration about having a single larger wheel is that access to and from the helming postion will be along an exposed side deck.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
It's been compared to being behind the dog guard in an estate car.
I guess the mainsheet thing is personal, I like to steer the boat rather than use an autohelm most of the time. I'm also used to fractional rigs and racer-cruiser boats.
On a modern cruising boat, I expect one benefit of twin wheels is you can see past the sprayhood. The downside is the spray can get past the sprayhood.
 
Next year look out for twin *tillers*,carbon of course,saving weight and offering even better access to the swim platform...you heard it here first ;)
 
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