State of emergency tillers

[Phil Herring]

Most boats are with a wheel also include an emergency tiller that drops into the steering quadrant from the deck. It may not be the most convenient way to steer... but it beats having no steering.

Not infrequently, emergency tiller parts are missing, mismatched, or broken.

Does yours fit that description, or is it safely aboard? Have you ever had to use your emergency tiller? Do tell.

 

[kappykaplan]

My sailing mate didn't understand that he was driving the rudder into the stops in some heavy weather last year. He hastened the failure of the 30+ year-old stbd idler pulley. Steering was flakey, but the below-deck autopilot worked fine. As we were beginning to proceed up the creek to the slip, I decided that we should break out the emergency tiller just in case. As I began to turn to port to line the boat up for reversing down the fairway, we heard a loud clunk as the stbd idler fell on top of the fuel tank, and I had absolutely no control with the helm. We calmly put the emergency tiller in place, and I got into my slip on the second try. It pays to be prepared!

 

[Ken Cross]

Thanks for the post.

This subject came up in the last few years and it prompted me to check out our emergency tiller. As likely from the factory it couldn't be removed from stowage without removing some screws. Ours is now mounted where I can actually use it if needed. Now I'm wondering if I should inspect our 29-year-old steering? Naah, Captain Ron said nothing bad will happen unless it happens out "there".

Ken

 

[Brian D]

I have an emergency tiller but it is very difficult to use. The access is fine but the length of the tiller is really short. Designed that way to not hit the wheel. Because of that, there is hardly any leverage unlike a full length tiller. I have not had to use it, not even in testing. So its usefulness is questionable.

Several years ago I lent the ET to another Lancer 27 owner in Dana Point. He didn't have one and wanted to have one made. I never heard from him again. I remembered his boat name and did an internet search and found him. But there was no contact information. Just his name and his wife's name. So I looked her up and found out she owned a business. Contacted her and she put the fire under the guys butt. Got my ET back a week later. Haha

 

[steve stark]

Ours is quick at hand, but....I have always wondered if it is necessary . Our boat has a ring/pinion steering setup with a link bar to the steering arm. A pretty solid setup, so the question is... What is likely to break - linkage, shaft? Would appreciate your views .

 

[bawlmer]

I have one on my 270. I took it out and tested it shortly after I purchased it. It worked. I put the parts back in the cockpit locker and hope to never use it again. The ET only works if the steering system is free. If the wheel pulleys and cables get jammed up you have to go below with wire cutters and hope you can clear the problem before the ET can work.

 

[Mikem]

My ET slips on the rudder post head between the port and starboard cockpit seats in the walk thru transom. Not much throw room and in any kind of a sea state it could be dangerous to use. There are fittings on either side of the end of the tiller and I assume those are there to fasten lines and make the handling safer/easier.

 

[capta]

I have one and know where it is and where it goes, but have never tried it.
Our emergency steering is the autopilot, which drives the quadrant independently of the wheel steering and the cables. Our emergency tiller does have eyes for a block and tackle rig on each side, but even with those, on a boat over 40' I'm not sure an emergency tiller would be very easily handled in any conditions but relatively calm ones.

 

[Rick D]

I have one and fitted it a long time ago. Thanks for reminding me to dig it out and fit it again. I suspect it will be a PITA to use because of limited leverage.

 

[NotCook]

Ours is quick at hand, but....I have always wondered if it is necessary . Our boat has a ring/pinion steering setup with a link bar to the steering arm. A pretty solid setup, so the question is... What is likely to break - linkage, shaft? Would appreciate your views .

We had just departed Norfolk for the Virgin Islands 3 years ago, and our steering “went out” before we even got out of the Chesapeake! We placed a “Pan Pan” and alerted the USCG of our situation, as we started dropping sails, unpacking the anchor, unpacking the ET, dropping anchor, and diagnosing the problem. Actually, deploying the ET was instrumental in diagnosing the problem - hooking it up showed us that we still had a rudder, and that our quadrant and cabling were all still intact. Eventually, we traced the problem to a loose set screw that allowed a key to slide in a keyway on a steering shaft behind a bulkhead in the engine room. Slide key back into the sprocket and, voila! - we have steering again. Took only 5 hours to find it and get back underway...

We learned some lessons from this exercise: first, it’s a good idea to actually install and test your ET, as previous posters commented, to make sure you have all the parts and know how to do it, and to find out what else you need to then actually steer the boat with the ET, such as blocks, lines, etc. to use for leverage and to secure it in place. It also helped us realize we really didn’t want to have to steer an 80,000# vessel very far with an ET! Blocks to each Genoa winch were in order. Next, that you really do need to know all the parts of your steering system, from wheel to rudder, and autopilot, and inspect and lubricate the parts that need it.

It’s good to know that you can use it if you need it, and how to service it so you, hopefully, never have to use it!

 

[jssailem]

You need to know how the ET works if you going off shore. You should also explore how to control the boat using just the sails. A drag has proven to be a substitute for a steering system. You adjust the location of the drag off the stern and you can turn circles.
Lastly should you happen to have a windvane, some manufacturers also produce Emergency Rudders that become part of the wind vane.
Several ways to skin the cat.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

I had the displeasure of using the ET 3 weeks ago. I was crewing on a friends boat on a trip up from Miami to CT when we lost steering at 1:00AM about 44 nm SE of Cape Fear. We took turns hand-steering in 40 minute shifts. Not fun, but without assistance we made it safely to a marina in the Cape Fear River, in Southport.
What I learned: 1) Bring an emergency tiller and know how to use it. 2) Westbrook Brewers in SC brews a world-class IPA.

Edit: the cause of failure was that the steering cable was too loose and it jumped off a sheeve, and frayed from rubbing against the sheeve box. Check your cable tension.

 

[TomY]

In Nantucket Sound, strangely, we've had our only fire onboard (electrical), and our only loss of steering. The latter was in boisterous conditions (which you often find in Nantucket Sound) that resulted in difficult steering. A cable turning block below the cockpit sole pulled some fastenings out, and that means no steerage by the wheel.

I'd never fit the emergency tiller but knew where it was. It's simply a heavy short (to clear the binnacle) rod welded onto a piece of metal stock that fits over the top of the rudder shaft. You remove a deck plate and fit it on.

It works, well enough. Under the conditions it will likely be called for duty, it's hard work. I ended up using my legs as well as arms in the rough conditions. We got into Woods Hole, about 7-8 NM's, to make repairs. I remember I was spent at that point.

Those turning blocks are reinforced in their mounting, today. I probably should figure out a better way to use the ET, but,...it works.

 

[Scubagirl62]

I saw "emergency tiller" and had to laugh. Quick story. Promise!
When we bought our Hunter 235 we had a marine surveyor look over the boat. While going over the inventory of what came with the boat we came across a bent stainless steel pipe that none of us could place. We asked the owner of the boat what it was. He said he didn't quite know as he was the second owner and it came with the boat. He said he thought it was an "emergency tiller." We all looked at him a little puzzled. But, what the heck, right?

When we got the boat home I finally figured out what it REALLY was. You inserted the pipe where the crutch went to hold the mast when it was down. You then inserted the U.S. flag into the pipe, tighten the screw and fly the colors. We still joke about the "emergency tiller."

 

[AlastairLC]

I have an emergency tiller but it is very difficult to use. The access is fine but the length of the tiller is really short. Designed that way to not hit the wheel. Because of that, there is hardly any leverage unlike a full length tiller.

As the boat didn’t come with one, I made one with similar short “tiller”. Tried it, but couldn't get the rudder to move. I’m assuming that the steering mechanism has to be actually broken for the emergency tiller to be able to work. Is that right?

 

[jviss]

As the boat didn’t come with one, I made one with similar short “tiller”. Tried it, but couldn't get the rudder to move. I’m assuming that the steering mechanism has to be actually broken for the emergency tiller to be able to work. Is that right?

Not really. Maybe your wheel was locked? The autopilot drive and overpower the drag of the steering system, I imagine you should be able to do so, too. I know I can move my rudder with my hands when the boat is on the hard.

 

[AlastairLC]

The wheel wasn’t locked.

 

[jviss]

I would say then that you should have a longer lever, or hit the gym!

 

[AlastairLC]

Longer lever would hit the wheel. I guess it’s the gym for me.

 

[Brian D]

There is one advantage to having the access port for an ET. One can install a small device that tells the skipper where the rudder is pointing.