Are All Emergency Tillers Essentially Useless?

[jviss]

My T3800 has an e-tiller. There's a plate that unscrews right over teh rudder post, in the center of the helm seat. A piece of pipe with key cut-outs slides over the rudder post. But, the e-tiller arm is only about 2' long. I don't think one could steer the boat this way, at least not for very long.

The problem is that the binnacle is in the way.

I've contemplated this for years, first with my C36, and now with the new boat. I've thought of rigging a tackle system to help steering. Never went ahead and did it.

I read about a couple of guys in a C36 who abandoned the vessel part way to Hawaii because of a steering failure, and just couldn't muster the strength and determination to steer with the e-tiller, which they were doing by sitting in the cockpit with their feet against it.

Anyone else wondering about this, or perhaps solved the problem?

 

[Parsons]

My first option for failed steering cables would be my sextant-mounted (below deck) auto pilot. That would bypass the binnacle steering system entirely, but relies on electricity and such to work.

I think that with enough time and motivation, I could rig a tackle with the available stuff on-board to hold a 2 foot length of pipe steady in that position. My principle concern in steering is not the failure of the binnacle / cables, but the rudder itself. I don't normally cruise with plywood to jury rig a rudder, and I'm not certain that I could effectively steer a 30+ foot boat with the tricks I learned on a dingy. Sail steering is a cool thing to practice, but I've not found it very effective far away from beam reaching.

 

[jviss]

My surveyor recommends a drogue with a bridle for emergency steering, since the e-tiller arm is to short. He also recommended attaching a strong pad-eye to the end of the e-tiller, and pad-eyes inside the cockpit sides, to allow rigging a tackle to steer with the e-tiller.

My new boat has a below-decks autopilot with a Raymarine linear actuator, but I haven't been able to get down there yet, far enough, to see if there's a tiller arm on the rudder post, or if it's just connected to the Edson radial drive. The latter is undesirable, since one wheel steering failure mode is a broken radial drive wheel, which would then knock out all your steering. If I don't have a bronze tiller arm on this one, I have one from the C36 below decks autopilot project (abandoned) that I will see if it can be bored out to fit the Tartan.

 

[Stu Jackson]

They're reliably unreliable.

I tried mine years ago. Worked under power at half throttle. Any more and it tried to throttle me!

We always recommend people at least TRY to use theirs to see how/if/maybe they work, or not so much.

Pad eyes make good sense, unless you can get a fairlead from winches. I don't know how mine would work under sail, although my boat steers wonderfully and effortlessly closehauled - as confirmed by the autopilot. Not so easy going downwind.

 

[jviss]

Stu, none of the big canoes with keels bolted on steer well down wind, or in quartering seas. On the C36, close hauled I could lock the wheel and it would track.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

the quality of emergency tillers is one of the main reasons why I went with the much more expensive under deck autopilot. I can cut away the cables to the binnacle and steer using the tiller connected directly to the rudder post.
I don't know how well I'd dock using the autopilot but that is a different story.... I keep mine and can get to it fairly quickly - maybe useful at docking speeds...

 

[Parsons]

Practically speaking, if you're coming into most ports you would not have to dock with your emergency steering. You could ask assistance from other boaters (volunteers, commercial towing, etc.) for the last 100 meters. If no one was available, anchor offshore a little while.

Out of curiosity, how long will your batteries sustain your sextant auto pilot?

 

[oldlaxer1]

Steering cable broke on an Express 35 in a Tstorm during a race. At very slow speeds and for short distances (docking) we could manage it. We rigged up the emergency tiller with lines leading to both primary winches. At higher speeds the winches with one person manning each winch was the only way to go.

 

[jssailem]

Emergency is the operative word, not Alternate.

1. Having give this some thought when I found my emergency tiller lying in the lazarette, I decided to use it I would have to remove the wheel binnacle, open the plate cover, then attach to the rudder shaft. In an emergency This could be done. The length of the tiller and it's weight leads me to believe this is a viable alternate steering system for my boat.
   
2. To go to that extent would mean that the wheel steering system was fouled beyond repair. The preferred response would be to see if I could safely repair the wheel system.
3. But if the rudder is gone, then a new response is needed. Thus the steering with sails. Not a simple task and likely not very efficient. But this is an emergency who's goal is to reach a port that is reachable with the equipment available. If you can balance your boat with your sails you should be able to travel on a reasonably consistent bearing. Turning will require some creativity. An conditions will be a serious factor. Feels like VHF radio time and a call for help.
   
4. There is some fun YouTube video of boys playing on a 40' Swan steering their boat around a harbor using a drogue in tow. I believe you could MacGyver together a possible system with available boat equipment to emergency steer a boat.
   
5. My last option has yet to be installed, but I found a Monitor Windvane with emergency steering rudders. This is my Open Ocean option to the problem.

Well that is what I came up with and are stowed in my bag of tricks. Maybe that time spent down in the dark dank hole near the rudder quadrant greasing the wheel system is not wasted.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I can go more than all day sailing on a full set of house batteries. I don't know how it would do with big following sea's where you have lots of back and forth motion. And if I'm using the autopilot because of a massive steering issue - I'm probably motoring and can use the pilot as much as I want.
Les

 

[Justin_NSA]

Not totally useless. You can use it to repel boarders. The marine equivalent of a tire iron.

 

[jssailem]

I'm probably motoring and can use the pilot as much as I want.

I would think in an emergency that running an engine and using the autopilot makes loads of sense. This assumes the failure is with the chain or cable running to the wheel. And that the failure is not inhibiting the turning of the rudder. With an engine running battery consumption becomes a lesser concern.

 

[jviss]

I can go more than all day sailing on a full set of house batteries. I don't know how it would do with big following sea's where you have lots of back and forth motion. And if I'm using the autopilot because of a massive steering issue - I'm probably motoring and can use the pilot as much as I want.
Les

Most autopilots have a power-conserving mode.

 

[jssailem]

power-conserving mode

As long as my motor goes varoom Varoom VARROOM... ... I am not in a power conserving mode....

 

[jviss]

Depends on where you are and where you are going. Halfway to Hawaii, I don't think you'd want to run the engine continuously 'til you got there.

 

[Kings Gambit]

My emergency tiller would be difficult to use for long if sailing; it might work OK if motoring in fairly good conditions. It's basically a bent aluminum tube with a square socket welded to the short end that slips onto the rudder-post head, which is squared. The rudder-post head is under the transom seat so I have to open that to put on the tiller. On seeing the set-up I was astonished to think that an engineer if any ilk would believe that such a kludge could actually service a true emergency. I improved it slightly by drilling and tapping set-screw holes through the socket part so I could a least secure an "attachment" to the rudder-post head. I keep two Allen wrenches taped to the thing so I can tighten the set screws w/o having to go fetch an Allen head wrench during "the emergency."

 

[markwbird]

Great stuff. I have never used mine but I can see that it would be difficult. If you are halfway to Hawaii then you need to figure out how to balance the boat and steer with the sails. Then it's just minimal effort on the tiller.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

JVISS - in the cruising I do - I'm not out of range of motoring to the closest port. I would need to get a divorce and lobotomy before taking my C36 to Hawaii. I'm sure the boat is capable - but I've done my time offshore.

 

[jviss]

Makes me think, there are various degrees of emergency. First, day sailing or island hopping; one need only get into port, presumably the same day, before sunset. Second, if you are voyaging, and will be out several days before you can make port; in this case, you need to get the thing sailing O.K., and then get to work on repairing the steering, if possible. Be prepared with tools and materials for a broken wire, broken chain, etc.

 

[jssailem]

Depends on where you are and where you are going. Halfway to Hawaii,

So true "jviss". With 165 gallons of diesel on board I figure I could ride the currents and motor maybe for 1400 nm. So likely would not get all the way to Maui but might hit the Big Island.
But that is why I have the alternate plans.
What are you thinking with your Tartan38?