Need advice-wheel steering or tiller My wife and I are about to purchase our first sailboat and are looking at vessels from 28' to 33'. There are many 28-30 footers that are tiller steering that we are very impressed with. Is there any reason why I should select wheel steering over tiller steering? We plan on day cruising in Galveston Bay with an occasional cruise to Corpus Christi or Padre. Will I be better off having wheel steering or does it not matter?
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Wheel steering has more stuff attached to it.(more to go wrong) Tiller is more sensitive and typically faster. Wheel takes up a lot more space in the cockpit. If you tie the tiller in the up position it takes no space at all. It's just a preference but I prefer tiller any day.
Thanks Alan
Alan, thanks for the note. What length boat do you sail? Will the convenience be there regardless of the length of boat?
Alan, thanks for the note. What length boat do you sail? Will the convenience be there regardless of the length of boat?
Tiller vs Wheel
Boy now you've done it!! This is like asking if Ford or Chevy is the better car. This is really more a personal preference. I like the wheel, my friend likes the tiller. In general, tillers are found on smaller (less than 30 ft)and classic boats but exceptions abound. Tiller Advantages: More sensitive control over rudder, more room in cockpit when docked. Cheaper less complicated setup. Tiller Disadvantages: Less room in cockpit when sailing, everybody has to stay out of the way of the helmsman when tacking. Autopilot connection is awkward. Turning less intutitive - pull to starboard, go to port. Wheel Advantages: Wheel brake available. Autopilot connection less intrusive. Boat steers like a car (turn left, go left) Wheel Disadvantages: In smaller boats takes up more room in cockpit (new folding wheels address this). Requires more complicated rigging - so more can go wrong with it (but seldom does) I'm sure I've missed some - you're bound to get more different opinions.
Boy now you've done it!! This is like asking if Ford or Chevy is the better car. This is really more a personal preference. I like the wheel, my friend likes the tiller. In general, tillers are found on smaller (less than 30 ft)and classic boats but exceptions abound. Tiller Advantages: More sensitive control over rudder, more room in cockpit when docked. Cheaper less complicated setup. Tiller Disadvantages: Less room in cockpit when sailing, everybody has to stay out of the way of the helmsman when tacking. Autopilot connection is awkward. Turning less intutitive - pull to starboard, go to port. Wheel Advantages: Wheel brake available. Autopilot connection less intrusive. Boat steers like a car (turn left, go left) Wheel Disadvantages: In smaller boats takes up more room in cockpit (new folding wheels address this). Requires more complicated rigging - so more can go wrong with it (but seldom does) I'm sure I've missed some - you're bound to get more different opinions.
Both have their merits.
You will find a lot of boats with tiller in the under 30' range but as the size increases wheels are more predominant because the forces also increase. For the pure sailing enjoyment the tiller wins hands down in my book. It provides a better feel of the boat. It also provides for a larger cockpit (no pedestal nor helm seat) and is less complicated and less subject to failure. A wheel is less physically demanding, it facilitates having your instruments in a cluster and I find it easier for docking manuverability. The size of the boat may very well determine what you end up with.
You will find a lot of boats with tiller in the under 30' range but as the size increases wheels are more predominant because the forces also increase. For the pure sailing enjoyment the tiller wins hands down in my book. It provides a better feel of the boat. It also provides for a larger cockpit (no pedestal nor helm seat) and is less complicated and less subject to failure. A wheel is less physically demanding, it facilitates having your instruments in a cluster and I find it easier for docking manuverability. The size of the boat may very well determine what you end up with.
who will be sailing with you?
Hello, If it's just the two of you on the boat, then it really doesn't matter which you have. My first boat was a Catalina 22 with a tiller. We would typically have 1 or 2 guests on the boat (so 3-4 people in the cockpit). The guests were not experienced on sailboats. It was a pain to steer with the tiller, guests had a difficult time with it, tacking was awkward because people had to move, stay out of the way of the tiller, etc. My next boat was a 28' Newport with a wheel. I like the wheel much better. Anyone can steer, no one has to move so the helmsman can steer, no one has to move when you tack, etc. My next boat will have a wheel. Barry
Hello, If it's just the two of you on the boat, then it really doesn't matter which you have. My first boat was a Catalina 22 with a tiller. We would typically have 1 or 2 guests on the boat (so 3-4 people in the cockpit). The guests were not experienced on sailboats. It was a pain to steer with the tiller, guests had a difficult time with it, tacking was awkward because people had to move, stay out of the way of the tiller, etc. My next boat was a 28' Newport with a wheel. I like the wheel much better. Anyone can steer, no one has to move so the helmsman can steer, no one has to move when you tack, etc. My next boat will have a wheel. Barry
You just look cooler with a wheel!
I have a Hunter 28.5 with wheel steering and I would say it's the only way to go on a boat that size or bigger. I like driving my boat and not pushing it (the tiller). I'm 6'3 and with my long legs that tiller always gets in the way. My boat is just up in Seabrook if you would like to check out a Hunter 28.5. It's an 1986 Model. Check out the link to my web site
I have a Hunter 28.5 with wheel steering and I would say it's the only way to go on a boat that size or bigger. I like driving my boat and not pushing it (the tiller). I'm 6'3 and with my long legs that tiller always gets in the way. My boat is just up in Seabrook if you would like to check out a Hunter 28.5. It's an 1986 Model. Check out the link to my web site
George covered it pretty wellr
I've had both, in a hunter 240 and a hunter 260. The tiller is the way to go if you want to "feel" what the boat is doing, it will give you feedback about how the boat is trimmed that you won't get with a wheel. If you are learning to sail I would say you need to spend time with a tiller in your hand. My personal preferance is a wheel because of the reasons George gives. We spend alot of time on auto pilot, and the wheel has an advantage there. A wheel is also less fatiging if you spend alot of time at the helm. With a tiller my back gets jacked up sitting sideways for long times.
I've had both, in a hunter 240 and a hunter 260. The tiller is the way to go if you want to "feel" what the boat is doing, it will give you feedback about how the boat is trimmed that you won't get with a wheel. If you are learning to sail I would say you need to spend time with a tiller in your hand. My personal preferance is a wheel because of the reasons George gives. We spend alot of time on auto pilot, and the wheel has an advantage there. A wheel is also less fatiging if you spend alot of time at the helm. With a tiller my back gets jacked up sitting sideways for long times.
wheel steering always looking cool? Hardly....
people who think a boat looks cool just because it has a wheel have no idea what cool is. If the wheel fits the boat, and looks funchtional then it's cool. Many wheel sailors sit behind the thing and drive it like a truck. They can't even see the jib telltales. The cool sailors sit to windward(or leeward), with their properly sized wheel providing easy one handed steering while watching the elements, maximizing speed and course, rather than staring blankly at the instrument cluster and following an arrow. What really looks cool is a skipper and crew hiking out to keep the boat flat, steering with a tiller extension, working the boat to windward, some spray over the rail and a churning wake giving evidence to their skill. A tiller is always cool... a wheel can be very cool or very stupid. If a wheel forces you to stay behind it to operate the boat then don't get it. If the wheel allows you to access your winches or steer from the rail then it's cool.
people who think a boat looks cool just because it has a wheel have no idea what cool is. If the wheel fits the boat, and looks funchtional then it's cool. Many wheel sailors sit behind the thing and drive it like a truck. They can't even see the jib telltales. The cool sailors sit to windward(or leeward), with their properly sized wheel providing easy one handed steering while watching the elements, maximizing speed and course, rather than staring blankly at the instrument cluster and following an arrow. What really looks cool is a skipper and crew hiking out to keep the boat flat, steering with a tiller extension, working the boat to windward, some spray over the rail and a churning wake giving evidence to their skill. A tiller is always cool... a wheel can be very cool or very stupid. If a wheel forces you to stay behind it to operate the boat then don't get it. If the wheel allows you to access your winches or steer from the rail then it's cool.
Looking Cool?
Cool is in the eyes of the beholder. So if your motoring out into Galveston Bay from Clearlake then you will pass hundreds of on-lookers from the Kemah Board Walk and most of them have no idea how to sail. First Boat, you will love wheel steering in that big of a boat. And like I said, It looks cool! I'm an every other weekend sailor at best and pretty new to it. I had a Hobbie Cat 12 years ago and bought my Hunter 28.5 just this year. Joe says "The cool sailors sit to windward(or leeward), with their properly sized wheel providing easy one handed steering while watching the elements, maximizing speed and course, rather than staring blankly at the instrument cluster and following an arrow." I set where it is comfortable and I can keep an eye on my 6 year old daughter steering the boat while she sits on my wife's lap. We are out for fun! not to win any races. We watch for dolphins and count jelly fish. My two boys ages 8 and 12 get bored quickly or scared if we are heeling much. They just miss playing video games. Mike So, Choose what ever you think you will be the happiest with. And decide on a state of mind.
Cool is in the eyes of the beholder. So if your motoring out into Galveston Bay from Clearlake then you will pass hundreds of on-lookers from the Kemah Board Walk and most of them have no idea how to sail. First Boat, you will love wheel steering in that big of a boat. And like I said, It looks cool! I'm an every other weekend sailor at best and pretty new to it. I had a Hobbie Cat 12 years ago and bought my Hunter 28.5 just this year. Joe says "The cool sailors sit to windward(or leeward), with their properly sized wheel providing easy one handed steering while watching the elements, maximizing speed and course, rather than staring blankly at the instrument cluster and following an arrow." I set where it is comfortable and I can keep an eye on my 6 year old daughter steering the boat while she sits on my wife's lap. We are out for fun! not to win any races. We watch for dolphins and count jelly fish. My two boys ages 8 and 12 get bored quickly or scared if we are heeling much. They just miss playing video games. Mike So, Choose what ever you think you will be the happiest with. And decide on a state of mind.
I learned on tiller...
But my boat has a wheel. It took me some time to get use to the wheel. But you know, cool or not, I like having the ability to move about and not have the tiller get in my way. It really is a matter of personnal choice. My next boat will also have a wheel. If I need more room in my 8' cockpit, I'll remove the wheel and store it below. No big deal. Try them both and see which one feels more comfortable for you and your mate. Then go with that. You'll be a good sailor regardless if you use the wheel or the tiller.
But my boat has a wheel. It took me some time to get use to the wheel. But you know, cool or not, I like having the ability to move about and not have the tiller get in my way. It really is a matter of personnal choice. My next boat will also have a wheel. If I need more room in my 8' cockpit, I'll remove the wheel and store it below. No big deal. Try them both and see which one feels more comfortable for you and your mate. Then go with that. You'll be a good sailor regardless if you use the wheel or the tiller.
Small World
I too sail a Soverel 33 and a Hunter Legend 37.5. The tiller's great for racing on a light boat. Wheel's great for cruising. (Alan, it would be fun to compare experiences - glen@nwwf.com)
I too sail a Soverel 33 and a Hunter Legend 37.5. The tiller's great for racing on a light boat. Wheel's great for cruising. (Alan, it would be fun to compare experiences - glen@nwwf.com)
Archives abound with this subject
but it's always good to have another go at it. One personal comment on earlier posts that said: "Tiller Advantages: More sensitive control over rudder,..." & "The tiller is the way to go if you want to "feel" what the boat is doing, it will give you feedback about how the boat is trimmed that you won't get with a wheel." I say nonsense to that. I've sailed both (C22 and C25 from 1982 to 1998) and a wheel C34 from 1998 to date. I can get the same feel when sailing with my wheel as we got from the tiller on the earlier boats. Yes, I agree, there's more "equipment" with a wheel, but with the "equipment" working properly, a fine feel at the 4 or 8 o'clock positions on the wheel is just as sensitive as a tiller if your sails are set right. I agree with everything else, but this "sensitivity-difference" stuff I believe is an old maid's tale. Just my old maid speaking, ya mind... *! Stu
but it's always good to have another go at it. One personal comment on earlier posts that said: "Tiller Advantages: More sensitive control over rudder,..." & "The tiller is the way to go if you want to "feel" what the boat is doing, it will give you feedback about how the boat is trimmed that you won't get with a wheel." I say nonsense to that. I've sailed both (C22 and C25 from 1982 to 1998) and a wheel C34 from 1998 to date. I can get the same feel when sailing with my wheel as we got from the tiller on the earlier boats. Yes, I agree, there's more "equipment" with a wheel, but with the "equipment" working properly, a fine feel at the 4 or 8 o'clock positions on the wheel is just as sensitive as a tiller if your sails are set right. I agree with everything else, but this "sensitivity-difference" stuff I believe is an old maid's tale. Just my old maid speaking, ya mind... *! Stu
If you have to ask ... 
Since you don't already have a preference, it won't matter to you. Tillers are dead simple, a stick bolted to the rudder. The only thing that gets between you and the feel of the water on the rudder is the friction in the rudder bearing(s). With a wheel you add cables, pulleys and more bearings in the pedestal. You gain mechanical advantage (like a really long tiller). The extra stuff reduces the feedback or "feel" of the system. This is NOT a counterpoint to Stu's comment about being able to feel the rudder with his wheel system. He has sailed tiller steered boats and knows what he should be feeling. Since he knows what to look/feel for, he can read the much more subtle feedback available from the wheel system. Many people cannot.
Since you don't already have a preference, it won't matter to you. Tillers are dead simple, a stick bolted to the rudder. The only thing that gets between you and the feel of the water on the rudder is the friction in the rudder bearing(s). With a wheel you add cables, pulleys and more bearings in the pedestal. You gain mechanical advantage (like a really long tiller). The extra stuff reduces the feedback or "feel" of the system. This is NOT a counterpoint to Stu's comment about being able to feel the rudder with his wheel system. He has sailed tiller steered boats and knows what he should be feeling. Since he knows what to look/feel for, he can read the much more subtle feedback available from the wheel system. Many people cannot.
Wheel
I agree with Stu, you do get feedback from a wheel, unless it is hydraulic steering. Backing an inboard powered boat with a tiller in close quarters can be a real challenge. Two hands on the tiller, one foot to operate the throttle/shift lever, and one foot to stand on. The benefits I like are having engine controls, compass, autopilot, speed and depth indicators, GPS, and drink holder right in front of me. An attached cockpit table is also a plus.
I agree with Stu, you do get feedback from a wheel, unless it is hydraulic steering. Backing an inboard powered boat with a tiller in close quarters can be a real challenge. Two hands on the tiller, one foot to operate the throttle/shift lever, and one foot to stand on. The benefits I like are having engine controls, compass, autopilot, speed and depth indicators, GPS, and drink holder right in front of me. An attached cockpit table is also a plus.
Glen
I love the Soverel!! The tiller is the only way to fly with that boat. The helm is sooo neutral its like sailing a dinghy. The Hunter has a 36" wheel so i can drive from either rail and have lots of visibility. I prefer driving on the high side except in light conditions when trim dictates 'weight to leeward' BTW are you going to the Nationals this year?
I love the Soverel!! The tiller is the only way to fly with that boat. The helm is sooo neutral its like sailing a dinghy. The Hunter has a 36" wheel so i can drive from either rail and have lots of visibility. I prefer driving on the high side except in light conditions when trim dictates 'weight to leeward' BTW are you going to the Nationals this year?
Heart like a tiller...
Your local boat marketplace must be some kind of alternative universe--around here it's almost impossible to find a tiller on anything other than a Catalina 25. Boats above 28' tend to have all the "big boat" systems and manufacturers equip them with wheels so they can use standard autohelm systems; buyers all assume that someday they'll cruise to the Caribbean and need that autohelm as they make their crossing (a dream, but boats are designed for dreamers). I love the feel of the tiller, it's second only to the thrill of heeling, and would choose that if I'm okay about giving up the dream of crossing oceans. Otherwise, the wheel is the best setup for working with autohelm...
Your local boat marketplace must be some kind of alternative universe--around here it's almost impossible to find a tiller on anything other than a Catalina 25. Boats above 28' tend to have all the "big boat" systems and manufacturers equip them with wheels so they can use standard autohelm systems; buyers all assume that someday they'll cruise to the Caribbean and need that autohelm as they make their crossing (a dream, but boats are designed for dreamers). I love the feel of the tiller, it's second only to the thrill of heeling, and would choose that if I'm okay about giving up the dream of crossing oceans. Otherwise, the wheel is the best setup for working with autohelm...
Like a choice between Automatic or Stick
Its pretty much along the same lines of what do you like better? Stick or Automatic transmission in your car? I like a stick shift and clutch better than automatic in my car. I like a tiller better than a wheel in my boat. With a stick shift/clutch arrangement, you can feel the road better especially in bad weather. The same goes for a boat. With a tiller you can 'feel' the boat better. Which is better? Hell if i know. Its all a matter of choice. I have a wheel now and thats because wifey likes a wheel better. She likes the wheel and therefore she likes to steer more often.
Its pretty much along the same lines of what do you like better? Stick or Automatic transmission in your car? I like a stick shift and clutch better than automatic in my car. I like a tiller better than a wheel in my boat. With a stick shift/clutch arrangement, you can feel the road better especially in bad weather. The same goes for a boat. With a tiller you can 'feel' the boat better. Which is better? Hell if i know. Its all a matter of choice. I have a wheel now and thats because wifey likes a wheel better. She likes the wheel and therefore she likes to steer more often.
wheels are only cool if...
...they're big enough to let you steer from a position where you can see the headsail telltales. ...unless, of course, you've got twin wheels, which is way cool.
...they're big enough to let you steer from a position where you can see the headsail telltales. ...unless, of course, you've got twin wheels, which is way cool.
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