Emergency Tiller

jeepbluetj · Apr 21, 2017

I have actually used my emergency tiller in anger. Methinks my boat was originally a tiller steered boat that was later converted to wheel. Thus the emergency tiller was the original tiller cut down.

We were about 200-300 yards from the entrance to Dana Point (2 big rock breakwaters, and a lee shore of DoHo state beach). 'Pop' goes the steering cable. We were sailing but motor was running and I knew where the E tiller was so I had crew drop all sails immediately to reduce the speed we would be blown onto the beach. Competent crew at the helm, I was doing nothing at the time. Left the motor in neutral. Got the tiller mounted, wheel would not come off exactly like Don described his situation. So I had the tiller at about a 45 degree angle from horizontal, steering was very hard once I put the trans in fwd. Wind was maybe 12-15 knts. We got in, and actually got the boat in the slip.

Lessons:
1. Make damn sure you can remove the wheel to allow more space for the tiller. Just take it off once a quarter or so.
2. Know exactly where that emergency tiller is. Was less than 60 seconds till I had it on the boat. This was not because I'm great at planning, it was because I recently cleaned out the laz.
3. Good crew is worth their weight in gold. By the time I had the tiller mounted all sails were down and we were at least 5 min from being on the beach instead of 2. My friend at the helm knew immediately that turning that wheel wasn't gonna do jack and jumped into getting the sails down.
4. At any higher windspeed, I would have tried to head out to sea for room and called for the tow. You get maybe 5 min in socal when stuff goes pearshaped on a marina entrance between a good decision and being on some rocks.

As to Don's comment about steering the boat with sails - I can, to some extent. But a fin keel boat is very very hard to steer with just sails (and I've only tried in light air - 25+ would be very hard in a C-30 imho). With sea room and some rudder, I could get something going. If the rudder was gone? Methinks a C-30 would be essentially uncontrollable except maybe in a run with some sort of drogue out. Of course, Don has forgotten more about sailing than I know, so that may be a factor.

Jackdaw · Apr 21, 2017

Very interesting topic!

The notion of 'emergency steering' is a hot button at the ISAF and US-Sailing's Offshore racing groups.

Simple fact. Boats are at the mercy of the elements when steerage fails. So you have to have a plan. but for what type of failure, and in what conditions??

First. The notion that you can trim-steer you way out of trouble is naive. Maybe in perfect conditions, but sadly that is NOT when steering fails. Steering breaks most often when the sh*t hits the fan. In those conditions you need a working rudder.

Second: An emergency tiller will help when a cable BREAKS. If it jams, you are no better off.

Most offshore boats now resort to an emergency RUDDER and tiller mounted on the transom, to totally take over the steering in an event when the primary steerage fails.

Carl Weathers · Apr 25, 2017

It is thought provoking, for sure. Thanks. I read all of the replies as well. I have a lot of things to focus on with my little boat and right now getting it out onto the lake is my priority. I did decide to replace my jib and main halyard and both sheets as it has been sitting idle for almost two years and I do not like the way they look or know their age or history.

Gunni · Apr 25, 2017

You can't steer my boat by sail without the rudder. I use the Galerider Drogue as my emergency steering plan B if I can't steer the boat with the emergency tiller. Seen demonstrated here by Mike Keyworth at Brewer Yard on his Swan 44.

jssailem · Apr 25, 2017

I recently experienced the frozen nut on the wheel issue. Wanted it off so I could install an autopilot. PB Blaster and a friends 3/4 " socket set. A 1 5/16ths " socket and a big bar made easy work of the frozen nut. But who carries a 3/4 " socket set aboard their boat? I was told by a couple of boaters they thought the nut was supposed to be finger tight. Any input on this? Would not want the nut spining off the wheel.
I now have a large adjustable wrench that fits the nut and I'd stuffed in my emergency drawer just in case.
In an emergency, I would have to loose the binnacle in order to attach the Emergency Tiller. Not a 5 minute task.
Has anyone had experience with a "GaleRider" drogue? Recently I watched a YouTube video of someone steering their boat using the drogue on a bridle. The motored about the harbor adjusting the drogue side to side attached to their winches.
Given enough sea rooom it looked like a an uncomplicated tools to use in an emergency.

When I get my Monitor windvane installed, it has an emergency steering rudder. Again it looks like a tool that will need a bit of sea room. Anyone have any experience with this tool?

Dan_Y · May 10, 2017

Had to motor about 4-5 miles in following seas in about 20kts in our h30 using the e-tiller after steering cable broke. BOY do I now have an appreciation for the load following seas place on a rudder, especially when there is insufficient leverage. But also noticed it was impossible to motor in reverse at the slowest maneuvering speed due to the tremendous rudder load if I tried to turn. I practiced backing up out side the marina to see if I could back into our slip...no joy there. The tiller mounts to the rudder post through the deck in the walk through transom. The walkthrough limited the tiller throw and I alternated between sitting on the transom seat and the cockpit deck... was easier on the deck due to better leverage. the admiral helped with navigation when I was on the deck. When the cable broke we were on a broad reach with only about 2/3 of a 135genoa flying having a great ride home. The boat immediately went into a tight circle, being pushed around by the waves. We furled the rest of the genoa in, timing when it unloaded as we went in the tight circle, the had to get the tiller out of the locker, then get the deck access hatch removed, then wiggle the tiller on to the rudder post, still while bouncing around in a tight circle. Those were bad conditions to try all of that stuff for the first time. Not sure how to practice steering with e-tiller w/o disconnecting the steering in our h36 tho.

WayneH · May 10, 2017

The Admiral and I know all about emergency steering. We were running downwind in quartering seas in our old 21 foot boat. She had tiller steering so we were working pretty hard to just keep her headed straight. About 5 miles from the marina, one of the bolts on the upper gudgeon sheared with a load pop. The boat immediately rounded up and headed for the extremely shallow water of the old spoil banks of the channel.

We dropped the sails and hoisted the rudder off the stern and onto the port lifelines where we tied it down. We then lowered the outboard and started it up. For the rest of the trip, we had to steer by turning the outboard. The outboard's handle was below the stern rail so we were reaching behind and below us to steer. With the exhaust coming over the stern rail, we took turns steering so we wouldn't get overcome by the exhaust fumes.

This experience taught us to prepare ahead of time for things like this. Our e-tiller on the Tartan is in the stern locker with a length of line holding it to the rudder post. The e-tiller is in a cloth sleeve such that the end that goes into the rudder head sticks out first. The e-tiller is just short enough to miss the wheel and we have played with it in the slip and we can move the rudder and the wheel with it. If we ever have to use it in an emergency, we are heading for the closest harbor available!