Price for installing wheel steering

[Jack]

Has anyone recently installed wheel steering on a 1975-1978 Catalina 30? I would like an idea of the price. Thanks.

 

[jchealey]

Wheel steering

I got a price from Edson for a conversion from tiller to wheel,The cost for the basic wheel,pedistal,drive wheel,bearing and assorted hardware was about $1300.00.Petistal guard,throttle controls/shift,compass are all extras.Good luck with your decision.JIM

 

[Bob Camarena]

Are You Sure?

Are you sure that's what you want to do? Wheel steering isn't necessarily better than tiller steering on a boat the size of the C-30. There are trade-offs. Tiller steering is quicker, more responsive, simpler and less expensive. Wheel steering is less invasive when sailing with a cockpit full of people, but takes up more room at the dock or at anchor (a tiller can be raised up and secured to the backstay, clearing the cockpit). There's a reason that most race boats in the 30' size range have tillers and not wheels. The earlier C-30's have cockpits that weren't designed for wheel steering and it's difficult to move from behind the wheel forward and vice versa without stepping on the seat. Later models have T-shaped cockpits to better accomodate the wheel. I had a tiller on my C-27 and a wheel on my C-30 and see it as a push. I'd spend my time and money on something else.