I have recently purchased a Catalina 250 with tiller steering and would like to covert it to wheel. Any hepl or advise?
Tiller to Wheel
- Thread starter j nigro
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at least once a month
this question comes up...you might get lots of ideas if you check the archives. My personal opinion...DO NOT DO IT... especially on a 25 foot boat. For one thing: a tiller pilot is way cheaper than a wheel autopilot. Another, you will lose valuable cockpit space and the boat will not sail any better. Oh, here's one: it's very expensive and it won't make your boat look any cooler, nor will you get the investment back when you sell. And here's my favorite.... not only is a wheel unnecessary on a boat this size, it looks dumb. You'll be sitting behind a little wheel at the very back of the cockpit and won't be able to reach any of the sail controls because it's so hard to move around. But hey... just my opinion.
this question comes up...you might get lots of ideas if you check the archives. My personal opinion...DO NOT DO IT... especially on a 25 foot boat. For one thing: a tiller pilot is way cheaper than a wheel autopilot. Another, you will lose valuable cockpit space and the boat will not sail any better. Oh, here's one: it's very expensive and it won't make your boat look any cooler, nor will you get the investment back when you sell. And here's my favorite.... not only is a wheel unnecessary on a boat this size, it looks dumb. You'll be sitting behind a little wheel at the very back of the cockpit and won't be able to reach any of the sail controls because it's so hard to move around. But hey... just my opinion.
Leave it tillered
The wheel will take up more space, over complicate things and is overkill for a 25 footer. I had a C250 with a tiller and really liked it - With the C250 I think you will loose a lot of space in the aft compartment with a wheel. Just my 2 cents.
The wheel will take up more space, over complicate things and is overkill for a 25 footer. I had a C250 with a tiller and really liked it - With the C250 I think you will loose a lot of space in the aft compartment with a wheel. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks (tiller vs wheel)
Thanks for the quick (and clever) responces to my tiller vs wheel question. For two years we have sailed a 34' Irwin. A wheel is all we have really known. I will take your advice and stick with the tiller. Thanks again. J Nigro
Thanks for the quick (and clever) responces to my tiller vs wheel question. For two years we have sailed a 34' Irwin. A wheel is all we have really known. I will take your advice and stick with the tiller. Thanks again. J Nigro
Transom Tiller
Edson makes the wheel steering and pedestal used by Catalina on the 250. It is available as an after market install, though it is fairly expensive. I have one installed on my C250. It does not take up any room in the aft berth, and only minor space above the battery (assuming that you or the PO have not relocated the battery elsewhere) in the aft compartment behind the aft bulkhead in the aft berth. Since that compartment contains the battery, possibly a holding tank ( and if you have a sail drive the fuel tank - replacing the battery which is moved forward under the V-berth) you won't notice any space loss Depending on your backstay, access forward of the wheel in the cockpit may or may not be an issue. My 250 has a single backstay to the port side. Access to the lines is around the starboard side of the wheel and is VERY easy. When combined with the wheel brake, it makes setting the rudder and moving forward to set the lines easy. However if you have a C250 with a split backstay access can be a bit of a problem. They are just at the right location to catch you in the face if you are trying to move forward in a hurry and are not paying attention. I have found that the wheel doesn't take up that much space in the cockpit,the pedestal provides an good mounting place for the compass and throttle controls, and when coupled with a pedestal guard, a great handhold and place to hang other electronics displays and misc stuff that always seems to clutter up the cockpit (i.e. hand-held VHF's, binoculars, drinks, etc) I have had both tiller's and wheels and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. With respect to the tiller giving you better "feel", IMHO you are really only able to take advantage of that in smaller dinghies. The 250 (regardless if it is water ballast or wing keel) comes in around at 2 tons displacement- significantly heavier than typical centerboard dinghies. No matter what you do, the 250 is not going to have the same manuverability. The issue I think really comes down to an issue of cost, use,. and what you feel most comfortable with If you are planning to keep the boat for a long enough period to amortize the cost of a wheel, you have passengers or sailing companions that just don't seem to get a tiller, or you like wheels, then the wheel is the better way to go. If, on the other hand, you aren't planning to keep the boat for any length of time, and/or your sailing companions are comfortable with a tiller, or you are not sure about a wheel, then by all means stick with a tiller. One point that I think should be noted with respect to autopilots. Although tiller autopilots are cheaper than wheel autopilots, wheel autopilots ( for example the Raymarine S-1) mount directly to the wheel, and don't take up any additional cockpit space that a tiller pilot would.
Edson makes the wheel steering and pedestal used by Catalina on the 250. It is available as an after market install, though it is fairly expensive. I have one installed on my C250. It does not take up any room in the aft berth, and only minor space above the battery (assuming that you or the PO have not relocated the battery elsewhere) in the aft compartment behind the aft bulkhead in the aft berth. Since that compartment contains the battery, possibly a holding tank ( and if you have a sail drive the fuel tank - replacing the battery which is moved forward under the V-berth) you won't notice any space loss Depending on your backstay, access forward of the wheel in the cockpit may or may not be an issue. My 250 has a single backstay to the port side. Access to the lines is around the starboard side of the wheel and is VERY easy. When combined with the wheel brake, it makes setting the rudder and moving forward to set the lines easy. However if you have a C250 with a split backstay access can be a bit of a problem. They are just at the right location to catch you in the face if you are trying to move forward in a hurry and are not paying attention. I have found that the wheel doesn't take up that much space in the cockpit,the pedestal provides an good mounting place for the compass and throttle controls, and when coupled with a pedestal guard, a great handhold and place to hang other electronics displays and misc stuff that always seems to clutter up the cockpit (i.e. hand-held VHF's, binoculars, drinks, etc) I have had both tiller's and wheels and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. With respect to the tiller giving you better "feel", IMHO you are really only able to take advantage of that in smaller dinghies. The 250 (regardless if it is water ballast or wing keel) comes in around at 2 tons displacement- significantly heavier than typical centerboard dinghies. No matter what you do, the 250 is not going to have the same manuverability. The issue I think really comes down to an issue of cost, use,. and what you feel most comfortable with If you are planning to keep the boat for a long enough period to amortize the cost of a wheel, you have passengers or sailing companions that just don't seem to get a tiller, or you like wheels, then the wheel is the better way to go. If, on the other hand, you aren't planning to keep the boat for any length of time, and/or your sailing companions are comfortable with a tiller, or you are not sure about a wheel, then by all means stick with a tiller. One point that I think should be noted with respect to autopilots. Although tiller autopilots are cheaper than wheel autopilots, wheel autopilots ( for example the Raymarine S-1) mount directly to the wheel, and don't take up any additional cockpit space that a tiller pilot would.
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