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L
Lasata
Tiller all the way!
Yup, I have a tiller and love it. Wheels are weird...
Yup, I have a tiller and love it. Wheels are weird...
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FrankR
Is there another option??
I prefer a tiller - it takes up less cockpit room, has few moving parts to break down and just feels right.
I prefer a tiller - it takes up less cockpit room, has few moving parts to break down and just feels right.
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David Foster
Tillers are best under 30 feet
Our tiller gives us a better feel of the rudder, better visual feedback on its position, and faster reaction to changes in sailing dynamics. And it's 100% out of the usable cockpit when we dock or anchor (with little if any discomfort underway.) It even lets me steer with my butt while tending lines or the GPS underway. I do agree with the need for a wheel for larger boats, or for those of us who need more leverage on smaller boats. And I think a tiller looks better, although I know that some feel a wheel is more nautical. David Lady Lillie '77 h27 with a tiller
Our tiller gives us a better feel of the rudder, better visual feedback on its position, and faster reaction to changes in sailing dynamics. And it's 100% out of the usable cockpit when we dock or anchor (with little if any discomfort underway.) It even lets me steer with my butt while tending lines or the GPS underway. I do agree with the need for a wheel for larger boats, or for those of us who need more leverage on smaller boats. And I think a tiller looks better, although I know that some feel a wheel is more nautical. David Lady Lillie '77 h27 with a tiller
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Steve Zweigart
Tillers R Terrific
I love the direct, primal feel of the tiller as well as the ease of care of the steering system. I've also found that kids learn tiller steering more instinctively. Among other percs: can steer tiller with butt, feet, anything else that can reach in a pinch. Tiller-tamer mechanism allows for untended tiller management in most conditions. Auto tiller handles more stringent situations. Makes cockpit space MUCH more friendly.
I love the direct, primal feel of the tiller as well as the ease of care of the steering system. I've also found that kids learn tiller steering more instinctively. Among other percs: can steer tiller with butt, feet, anything else that can reach in a pinch. Tiller-tamer mechanism allows for untended tiller management in most conditions. Auto tiller handles more stringent situations. Makes cockpit space MUCH more friendly.
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Off Tempo
immediate feedback from tiller
Tillers are the best for feedback. You can feel the water as it passes the rudder. You can feel the weather helm and trim adjustments. Mine begins to vibrate in that special way and hum when everything is trimmed correctly. What a feeling.
Tillers are the best for feedback. You can feel the water as it passes the rudder. You can feel the weather helm and trim adjustments. Mine begins to vibrate in that special way and hum when everything is trimmed correctly. What a feeling.
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Mike
What sort of advice?
You will get a lot of comments about how much people love their tillers/wheels, but you don't say what type of issue you are trying to resolve. I like my tiller, but that's probably because I have a 23 foot boat, don't have room for a wheel, and am used to sailing boats even smaller. I also don't like the idea of maintaining a wheel steering system (the thought of all of those cables, pulleys and thingamabobs hidden away in places I can't reach give me the willies). What's the deal for you?
You will get a lot of comments about how much people love their tillers/wheels, but you don't say what type of issue you are trying to resolve. I like my tiller, but that's probably because I have a 23 foot boat, don't have room for a wheel, and am used to sailing boats even smaller. I also don't like the idea of maintaining a wheel steering system (the thought of all of those cables, pulleys and thingamabobs hidden away in places I can't reach give me the willies). What's the deal for you?
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Jeff D
Under 30 ft.?
Can't agree with a size limitation. Most boats in Europe 30-34 ft. come standard with a tiller. Wheels are optional even on long keel boats. A standard wheel is more of an American thing. If a boat is tuned correctly there should not be that much helm on a well designed boat with reasonable sails. Wheels are a personal issue.
Can't agree with a size limitation. Most boats in Europe 30-34 ft. come standard with a tiller. Wheels are optional even on long keel boats. A standard wheel is more of an American thing. If a boat is tuned correctly there should not be that much helm on a well designed boat with reasonable sails. Wheels are a personal issue.
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joe
one problem with wheels...
is there are less seating options for the helmsman. Like sitting on the coaming to see oncoming waves better, tucking in behind the dodger to get out of the weather or sitting to leeward to check your trim. With an adjustable tiller extension the helmsman can also move his weight about the cockpit to help balance the boat. On larger vessels the weight issue is less critical. A big destroyer wheel, or even twin wheels, increase the helm's options. On a smaller boat- say under 29 feet, the wheel size is limited so a tiller offers more options. The issue of feel is very important to lots of sailors. I believe you can have good feel on a properly set up wheel system. The wheel system can provide more leverage than a tiller in the same size area. When the leverage demands require the tiller to be quite long, the wheel set up is a better option.
is there are less seating options for the helmsman. Like sitting on the coaming to see oncoming waves better, tucking in behind the dodger to get out of the weather or sitting to leeward to check your trim. With an adjustable tiller extension the helmsman can also move his weight about the cockpit to help balance the boat. On larger vessels the weight issue is less critical. A big destroyer wheel, or even twin wheels, increase the helm's options. On a smaller boat- say under 29 feet, the wheel size is limited so a tiller offers more options. The issue of feel is very important to lots of sailors. I believe you can have good feel on a properly set up wheel system. The wheel system can provide more leverage than a tiller in the same size area. When the leverage demands require the tiller to be quite long, the wheel set up is a better option.
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David Perkins
Im in the process of installing a wheel as we speak. It takes lots of the stress of long cruise away. much easier to just sit behind the wheel and steer the boat than fighting with a tiller. I have crewed with some friends with a Mac 26S that has a wheel ...... so much easier and depending on where you have it mounted you have lots more cockpit room. with out people having to 'duck' the tiller when tacking or kids getting whacked in the head by the tiller. But to each his own. I prefer a wheel over tiller 100% David
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Don K.
Beautiful Tiller
I would not trade the beauty and feel of my tiller with 15 coats of urathane to be stuck behind a cold wheel away from all the action that can be taking place in the cockpit. With a tiller I can steer and still man the sheet winches and the mainsheet. I had a tiller on a 10 ton Cutter I used to own. It does'nt make sense to me to have wheel steering on anything under 32 feet.
I would not trade the beauty and feel of my tiller with 15 coats of urathane to be stuck behind a cold wheel away from all the action that can be taking place in the cockpit. With a tiller I can steer and still man the sheet winches and the mainsheet. I had a tiller on a 10 ton Cutter I used to own. It does'nt make sense to me to have wheel steering on anything under 32 feet.
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David Foster
Weather helm not a tiller problem, David
If the boat and sails are not balanced, the helmsman/woman will have a hard time fighting the rudder (which, or course slows down the boat dramatically.) It is true that because a wheel may have more leverage (often not true in a 25-27 foot boat) and because you can more naturally bring two hands to bear, a wheel is a counter measure to an unbalanced rig. However, the causes of excessive weather helm can be eliminated in ways that do not continuously drag the rudder sideways through the water. There are some great discussions on how to do this in the archives. Search for "weather helm" to find them. If I were going to buy one piece of equipment to correct weather helm, it would be to replace a blown out mainsail. If the main is in good shape, then any good sailboat (this certainly includes the MacGregors) can be tuned and balanced to steer without the rudder in steady winds. Most of us prefer a little weather helm as a safety feature, and trimming for gusts and waves is the right use for the rudder. So I see a wheel as a valid choice for personal preference, or to assist a driver who can't handle a tiller for some reason. David Lady Lillie
If the boat and sails are not balanced, the helmsman/woman will have a hard time fighting the rudder (which, or course slows down the boat dramatically.) It is true that because a wheel may have more leverage (often not true in a 25-27 foot boat) and because you can more naturally bring two hands to bear, a wheel is a counter measure to an unbalanced rig. However, the causes of excessive weather helm can be eliminated in ways that do not continuously drag the rudder sideways through the water. There are some great discussions on how to do this in the archives. Search for "weather helm" to find them. If I were going to buy one piece of equipment to correct weather helm, it would be to replace a blown out mainsail. If the main is in good shape, then any good sailboat (this certainly includes the MacGregors) can be tuned and balanced to steer without the rudder in steady winds. Most of us prefer a little weather helm as a safety feature, and trimming for gusts and waves is the right use for the rudder. So I see a wheel as a valid choice for personal preference, or to assist a driver who can't handle a tiller for some reason. David Lady Lillie
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Nanci
Engine controls for tiller steering
I'm delighted you all love your tillers, so do I. However, my Morse dual controls need to be replaced and I can't find any that don't have the safety stop - which I can't use with my foot. No opposable thumbs, ya know.
I'm delighted you all love your tillers, so do I. However, my Morse dual controls need to be replaced and I can't find any that don't have the safety stop - which I can't use with my foot. No opposable thumbs, ya know.
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