Steering

[Pa-marjoe]

Hello.

I am the happy owner of "Wild Child". I am new to sailing and will appreciate any help you all offer. I have a 25.5, 1985 model. I am hoping to get information/recommendations for a steering system/wheel. I would like to do away with the tiller sytem. Any ideas? Suggestions for what I should purchase? Wild Child and I would surely appreciate it.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Keep the tiller?

I own and sail both a tiller boat and a wheel boat. For the 25.5 the tiller is ideal. And when you price the upgrade I think you will agree.

I think the answer about the upgrade will come from other 25.5 owners, maybe someone who has done it. I can only tell you that it will be very difficult and expensive. It would be a custom fit because your rudder hangs off the transom. Wheel systems typically use a radial wheel or quandrant mounted to a rudder post that comes up through the hull. Then a cable goes around that, over to a couple of sheaves that route the cable vertically and into the pedestal. You can see all of this on the Edson website.

You would have to mount a bar across the back of the rudder and run cables through the transom. Kind of like we used to do with outboard motors many years ago. To be affordable you might find a pedestal and wheel in a salvage yard. If you are real handy you might work up a push-pull hydraulic system but it would still need to be hung off the transom in some way. Good luck.

 

[Yard Dog]

keep the tilller

I have a 1984 25.5
Keep the tiller. Better feel, than a wheel.

I agree, the cost of the upgrade would not be a wise choice if and when you go to sell the boat.

Keep the money, enjoy sailing and when time use the money and buy a boat with a wheel already one it.

Or.
Take the money for the wheel and get new sails if it does not have them already.

I found the best money I ever spent was new sails. Everyone updates this and that and forgets that the sails are the engine for your sailboat.

 

[Pa-marjoe]

Thank you all for your opinion

I just want to say thanks......sounds like the tiller wins out. My sails are less than 2 years old. I actualy bought my boat from an auction and she was inspected and valued at more than 3 times what I paid for her. She deserves lots of TLC - refinishing her teak. Thanks y'all

 

[Yard Dog]

another upgrade worth the money

If you want to upgrade something.

I would upgrade the traveler if it's original.
That will help to give the main a better shape when sailing.