Tiller vs. wheel steering on 34-40 ft boats
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Looks like a Edson pedestal with an emergency tiller attachment on it? I've seen them rigged that way and it's a lot nicer to use the e-tiller where you have room to use it instead of going behind the pedestal and having to hook it to the rudder post through an access plate, and then not be able to swing the tiller due to lack of room behind the pedestal.
Some Catalina's that come with an e-tiller attach the e-tiller on the rudder post off to one side or the other behind the pedestal.
It would be interesting to see how that's rigged. Whether they used a bellcrank with a push/pull (true backup system in the event the cable jumps off the quadrant et al) or simply have the tiller attachment hooked into the steering cable like an autopilot would be.
It's not that complex. That tiller is mounted directly onto the rudder stock. The wheel is simply mounted BEHIND the rudderstock, which is 180 degrees different than most installs but perfectly OK.
Ah, cool! So the rudder post is right there. Looking at the photo I could see that after you explain it, although at first glance it looked like it might place the rudder too far forward. So the steering cable goes down from the chain in the pedestal and right onto the quadrant. You could blow the cable or have the chain break or jump off, throw the tiller on it and you're good to go with no clearance problems at all to get full steering with the tiller.
Although it does place the tiller in somewhat of an awkward place in the cockpit for guests onboard - I can see that too.
That's a really neat setup. I like that one alot. Thanks for showing that. Beautiful cockpit too.
Although it does place the tiller in somewhat of an awkward place in the cockpit for guests onboard - I can see that too.
That's a really neat setup. I like that one alot. Thanks for showing that. Beautiful cockpit too.
Kristin:
My boat came with the tiller in that location. I wanted a pedestal and wheel so I was faced with placing the pedestal in front of the tiller post or behind it. I decided to place it behind the tiller post so I could still use the tiller whenever I wanted. The quadrant mounts to the existing rudder shaft below the cockpit. The cables go around the quadrant and through two idler pulleys then up the post. I purchased the pedestal, wheel, quadrant and idler pulleys for $100 from a guy in Mandeville who bought a house with a sailboat in the yard and was selling parts because he didn't want to pay to have the boat hauled off.
My first attempt failed when I tried to shim the rudder shaft and use the old quadrant that had a bigger hole. I scrapped that and purchased a new quadrant from Edson that would fit the diameter of my rudder shaft and that was a bit more pricey. It all works great together now and I'm glad I went to the trouble of adding the steering because of the extra room when I have guests out for a sail. I stow the wheel and use the tiller only when I sail with just me and the dog on board.
Sandy - we moved to Navarre Beach and I sailed the boat here from Slidell. That was an adventure! The water is nice and clear here but I really miss the Eden Isles protected water behind the house. My boat is on the Sound directly behind the house here so I can keep an eye on it, but when the wind comes from the North and blows more than 25 kts, I don't like the way Nellie bounces in her slip. Usually the wind is from the South and she is protected but this winter has seen some blows from the North that make me have to tighten up the lines more than I like to.
I miss the Wed. night races even though I always came in last!