I AM LOOKING AT BUYING A H260 WITH THE OPTION OF WHEEL STEERING CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW MUCH ROOM IT TAKES UP IN THE COCKPIT ? AND IF POSSIBLE EMAIL SOME PICTURES OF THE SET UP
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When we ordered our H260, my wife wanted the wheel steering. Since she is the usual helmsperson, and it is always a good idea to keep the ladies happy, we ordered it with the new boat, which was delivered last June. The wheel takes up surprisingly little space in the cockpit. We also got the outboard motor controls mounted on the steering pedestal, since the outboard is mounted in a somewhat difficult-to-reach location. Several advantages showed themselves, which we had not thought of when we ordered the boat. The wheel and pedestal provide something to grab hold of when moving around the cockpit and the whole setup means that you can be in a standing position with good visibility and the motor controls are at your fingertips. I feel that this makes things safer, especially when motoring. Some sailors will say that a wheel is not appropriate on a small boat, but it has worked well for us. I'll be putting the boat in the water for our summer season in about three weeks. If you can wait that long, I can send you photos. Ralph C. Regar S/V Shambala regars@juno.com
picture is on this site
Take a look at the picture of the 260 in the Boats section. The wheel takes up very little cockpit space and seems to be favored over the tiller. /c s/v Twilight, H410
Take a look at the picture of the 260 in the Boats section. The wheel takes up very little cockpit space and seems to be favored over the tiller. /c s/v Twilight, H410
Wheel Works Great
While I myself own a 240 with Tiller, I have had the pleasure of sailing a friends 260 with wheel on several occasions. The wheel looks as if it takes up more space than a tiller but one must think in terms of static vs. dynamic space. The tiller looks small, but underway it eats up a lot of space due to its range of movement. The wheel on the other hand is a known quantity, you, and your guests, always know where it is. There is no "cockpit ballet" required among guests and crew when making turns. To me, this alone is reason enough to have the wheel. I also happen to think the wheel on the 260 looks great and definitely feels more "yachty". To be fair, a tiller does provide more feedback, making it easier for the inexperienced to steer a steady course (that is, once you get over the problem of figuring out which way the tiller must move to steer a given course
). However, when I move up to a larger boat, it will absolutely have a wheel.
While I myself own a 240 with Tiller, I have had the pleasure of sailing a friends 260 with wheel on several occasions. The wheel looks as if it takes up more space than a tiller but one must think in terms of static vs. dynamic space. The tiller looks small, but underway it eats up a lot of space due to its range of movement. The wheel on the other hand is a known quantity, you, and your guests, always know where it is. There is no "cockpit ballet" required among guests and crew when making turns. To me, this alone is reason enough to have the wheel. I also happen to think the wheel on the 260 looks great and definitely feels more "yachty". To be fair, a tiller does provide more feedback, making it easier for the inexperienced to steer a steady course (that is, once you get over the problem of figuring out which way the tiller must move to steer a given course
). However, when I move up to a larger boat, it will absolutely have a wheel.- Status