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Tiller or Wheel for Solo?

16K views 86 replies 35 participants last post by  christian.hess 
#1 ·
First, I am NOT wishing to open up a can of worms/debate about which is better... tiller or wheel. Opinions vary. I have been reading "Thoughts, Tips, Techniques and Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing," by Andrew Evans and he strongly recommends a tiller for a singlehander. The boats I have sailed on (as crew) in the past have been wheel-steered. My current boat, a Columbia 28' which I haven't had out much yet, is tiller-steered. (I purchased it because the price was right.) My intuition is that I just really prefer a wheel. Hopefully this Fall I will be stepping up to a 32'-35' boat but before I do I would like to hear what singlehanders have to say about the two options. Which do you prefer and why?
 
#38 · (Edited)
I wont add much...

here is just some info that may or may not help.

This month was the transpac....If you look at the singlehanders and double handed divisions they are 99 percent tiller

In fact division winner solo was an islander 36 frolic...guess what he had for steering?

TILLER.

if you ask most racers in medium, small boats tiller hands down...simplicity hands down...will always win at the end of the day.

also tiller pilots are significantly cheaper and easier to replace than wheel pilots.

having said this I do LOVE to steer by wheel downwind...its something I cant replicate with a tiller...

standing just behind and to either quarter of the wheel sighting the big waves...and trying to surf them(even if your a displacement hull) to me is beyond exhilarating...something about whacking the wheel hard over and back and letting it slip between your fingers where the rudder finds its sweet spot and the boat and sails balance and you let go of the wheel and it stays there moving by itself where everything is perfect is something to behold, thats what sailing is about.

not all boats do this, not all rudder and wheels do this but sometimes it can be magical.

if the op does decide to go to wheel MAKE SURE you keep your tiller and stub exposed so QUICK insert of tiller can be acheieved in order to regain steerabilty.

btw I find beam reaching much more enjoyeable with a tiller and downwind sailing with a wheel...mostly has to do with ergonomics...

oh I forgot a neat setup acheivable on some boats is a wheel and stubby tiller with tiller pilot...I have seen it on some race boats and find it very interesting...

this setup can only be achieved where the wheel is situated very forward almost at the companionway(usually cause the traveller is right there on the bridgedeck or up on the cabin top nearby) it also acheives better boat balance by having the weight midships and a cleaner cockpit

however it makes getting in and out of the cabin a nuissance. the stubby tiller and tiller pilot is redundancy and a budget way of getting self steering on a budget.
 
#39 ·
Nothing beats a tiller for 'feedback' from a 'properly designed and BALANCED (by design) rudder.

If a tiller steered boat has its 'rudder shaft' exposed below deck, then an 'auxiliary (bronze, Edson-type) tiller arm can be mounted so that just about ANY suitable and matched autopilot can be attached .... especially good for unbalanced rudders that require a LOT of force to steer (but a boat with an unbalanced rudder will typically have wheel steering to overcome the adverse loads imparted to an unbalanced rudder).
example: Bronze Tiller Arms : Edson Marine Store
 
#40 ·
x2

this is effectively replicating a ram arm below decks hugely expensive autopilot for big boats type of scenario...however I HAVE seen this done on small boats with cheap tiller pilots mounted below...usually with access from one lazarette...the plus for this is obviously water and protection from the elements...

a nice remote for the tiller pilot and bobs your uncle:)

sometimes going small and simple has so many benefits:)
 
#42 ·
Damn right a tiller is better for upwind as you sit well to the side of the helm and therefore you can more easily see the break of the luff on the jib/genoa ... or even better, watching a set of 'steering' tell tales (aka: Gentry tufts).

Sitting to the side of a wheel is great PITA as you have to 'push away' at the top of the wheel which is 'tiring' and can put a lot strain on the shoulder. With a tiller and extension just a slight easy 'pull' here and there while sitting on the high side cap rail and 'life is good' ... also the reason that the old fashioned 'reverse mounted' wheels work just like tillers.
 
#50 ·
Sitting to the side of a wheel is great PITA as you have to 'push away' at the top of the wheel which is 'tiring' and can put a lot strain on the shoulder.
When I sit to the side of my wheel I push up to turn downwind and down to turn upwind. I find it to be very natural. This also lets me sit higher up on the combing, sort of like having a tiller extension (only not as long as a proper tiller extension).

I found that taking apart my wheel's steering system and lubricating everything gave me much better rudder feedback. It is really easy to feel when the boat is in the groove now. This is a couple of hour project on an Edson wheel.
 
#43 ·
Granted less to do with sailing but for the other 90% of your time on the boat a tiller folds up and a wheel is always in your way. You cockpit on a offshore boat is generally smaller and a wheel takes up a lot of valuable real estate while a tiller is only there when you need it.

The other major consideration is simplicity. For any offshore boat a tiller is less complicated then a wheel. A single handed offshore voyage it seems wise to take advantage of the safety that comes from simple systems where practical.

I do think I would consider other variables for my solo offshore sailboat long before I care about tiller vs wheel. Though based on all arguments above it seems tiller wins hands down for a boat below a certain displacement. Cheers Justin
 
#46 ·
I am not sure that is a valid argument. I suggest that the reality of a small boat is that the autopilot is likely to be a 'wheel pilot' if there is wheel steering and so will be equally as exposed to the elements as would a tiller pilot (maybe more since a wheel pilot can't be stowed below when not in use). On a boat where there is space and budget for a below deck autopilot installation, the ram for the autopilot will be protected whether there is a wheel or a tiller.

One autopilot argument in favor of a tiller with a wind vane is that a low energy draining 'tiller pilot' can often be used to operate the servo paddle on the wind vane so that less force(less electricity) is needed to make course corrections.

Jeff
 
#47 ·
I based my point on the recent passage from Hawaii to Samoa by Webb Chiles where he used 3 tiller pilots to complete the the voyage. I have no knowledge to what you refer to as a 'wheel pilot' but either way it would appear they both are exposed so, in my mind, would require consideration to mitigate the possibility of damage from that exposure.
 
#48 ·
a wheel pilot is the same thing but for a wheel...usually using a belt

back a few pages rich posted a clamp on arm for small boats and big too where the shaft of the rudder is exposed between the deck and hull...in this space I have seen it done where using cheap tiller pilots you mount it just as you would a big ram arm style autopilot that bigger boats have but are so expensive.

you save yourself the surviving the elements hassle but a way to access the controls is a must...a lazarette or small hatch ontop is a way to do that or a remote.

but again the real way to go is small windvane on small boats...the tiller pilot to vane pendelum is a tried an tried method for those light wind days...

but I have not done it myself, usually its on bigger boats where that is done and not smaller ones like we are talking here
 
#49 ·
If everything else about the boat is right for you then don't worry about the steering mechanism. I like (probably prefer) tillers but my Pearson came with a wheel and I've grown comfortable with it too.

I was annoyed at the high price of wheel pilots compared to tiller pilots when buying this boat, but the X5 (and now the EV-100) are much better autopilots than the ST1000/ST2000. I'm not sure they are 3x better, but they are better enough that the sting of the 3x higher price has been lessened. If I were buying a tiller pilot today for a 30-35' boat I'd probably get the tiller version of the EV-100 (or X5 if one could be found on closeout).
 
#51 ·
There are several reasons I much prefer the tiller. Keep in mind my overriding philosophy that you absolutely must be able to sail your boat without an autopilot - because it WILL BREAK - ABSOLUTELY.

Most (but not all) wheels are designed to be used standing, or at best in an uncomfortable sitting position. All tillers are designed to be used sitting. Singlehanders will want to sit when sailing for hours at a time.

It is difficult to handle lines while at the same time handling a wheel. For example, can you perform a tack in high winds with the wheel? And can you handle the spinnaker sheet and guy and the wheel all at the same time - in high winds? Can you launch a spinnaker in 25 knots with a wheel? Remember that your autopilot will fail at the single most inconvenient time, so you have to be able to do all of these things without it.

Finally, how much control do you have over a wheel with your feet/legs? I look at my legs as an additional hand when I need to be doing something else with my hands. The most common example is using two hands to winch in the jib sheet in high winds. I just put my knee over the tiller. Or eating a thermos of soup.

So, in answer to the question, for some boats a wheel is fine, but only if it allows for complete control over the many other parts of the boat at the same time.

By the way, my book is being put out on real paper by the good folks at International Marine. I was just told that it goes to the printer at the end of August and will hit the book shelves at the end of September.
 
#55 ·
I got a good laugh yesterday. A couple of hours after my posting above, I went out for a sail on a beautiful sunny afternoon with 20 knot wind. There was some bad corrosion on the negative terminal of my battery. When I unscrewed the nut, the entire peg broke off. So here I am with no battery to run my autopilot. But I sure as heck was not going to let that ruin such a perfect sailing day. I went out with just my bungee cord and still had a great spinnaker run.

Just further proof that singlehanding does not, and should not, require an autopilot.
 
#56 ·
I guess I will say that after posting this and the subsequent discussion about the subject, I will not let a tiller dissuade me from considering a boat once I am ready to buy. Before that would have been the case. Honestly, I am looking at 40 year old boats in my price range and length (33' - 36'). There are plenty of other issues to consider with these boats... I will consider wheel or tiller boats equally. I realize the consensus is pretty much tiller boats are simpler to handle and mechanically, but this is still progress for me. Thank you all who contributed to the discussion.
 
#59 ·
I have a disability with my arms so the wheel is more comfortable for me, I do have a tiller on my Coronado 25, the boat is well balanced and there is little to no weather helm so I can handle it but for offshore I would go with a wheel.
 
#61 ·
Why do you have to launch a spinnaker in 25 knots of wind, singlehanded?
Because it's fun as hell. Learn how to do it, and then try it yourself and tell me if I'm wrong.

For me, it's like asking why do I have to sail at all.

what is the title of the book?
The new published version is called "Singlehanded Sailing; Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics."
The book tells you everything you need to know on how to launch the chute - even without an autopilot.
 
#64 ·
The new published version is called "Singlehanded Sailing; Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics."
The book tells you everything you need to know on how to launch the chute - even without an autopilot.
You can pre-order it on Amazon: Singlehanded Sailing: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics: Andrew Evans: 9780071836531: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LOmgx9WdL.@@AMEPARAM@@51LOmgx9WdL

But the funny part is the description on Amazon:
Complete Guide to Classical Music is a clear, concise yet comprehensive introduction to the world of classical music for the newcomer.​

That sounds like a very comprehensive book :)
 
#62 ·
Interesting. My first thought is it's a good way to blow out a sail, which isn't to argue the point. I just wouldn't think to raise a spinnaker in that strong of wind. Would certainly get a boat moving! ;)

Thanks for the title. Certainly right up my alley.
 
#70 ·
Please. That's just showing off and extremely bad advice.
Like anything, you work your way up to it. After a few times, spinnaker is docile in 15 knots of wind. At 20 its starting to get fun. Do that a bunch of times and it becomes nothing special. Then move up to 25. The biggest pain becomes that you have to sail upwind for 3 hours to get a 45 minute ride back downwind. It's like the old days when you had to climb a mountain before skiing down again.

What about a wheel boat makes an autopilot more of a requirement than a tiller boat?
Sorry, when using the autopilot they are about the same. I was trying to make the point that the tiller is preferable when the autopilot is not working.

I find it easy to tack my boat, handle the spinnaker, or steer with my feet on a wheel boat.
Absolutely, there are some boats where a wheel is well placed for singlehanding. I was trying to speak in generalities, where for nearly all boats the tiller is preferred. I've spent time on lots of boats with wheels and I've never found one that handled as well as a tiller for singlehanding - in my opinion. This is why they even put tillers on some Open 60's.

You hoist the chute at 25 knots with the tiller between your knees? How did you get the bag on deck, hook it up, and get the pole up? And what kind of boat are we talking about anyway?
I do most of the setup work when sailing upwind with a bungee cord setup holding the tiller in place. Even putting the spinnaker pole up after I round a mark. Then I turn downwind and take off.
I'm on an Olson 30, which is a pretty twitchy boat.
 
#71 ·
I'd suggest that sailors who want to tell us how easy it is to do something like set a spinnaker single handed in 30kts submit videos, so we all learn how to do it.

I'm inclined to like my boat, personage, standing rigging, running rigging, and sails too much to try it, but I'm willing to learn;)
 
#72 · (Edited)
Unfortunately, taking a video of myself flying a chute in those conditions is beyond my ability. As I'm sure you understand, both hands are rather busy. The entire process is described in great detail in my book that is currently available free on the SFBay Singlehanded site. If you follow that advice you won't have any problems with raising or dousing the chute. I've done it enough times to know that for certain.

I tried to upload a photo of my broken mast taken last fall in the aftermath of a spinnaker run on a 25 knot day, but the system won't let me. An old splice in the spectra backstay broke. Like any sport, if you push to the limits things are going to break. Just on Wednesday I ran on the rocks while raising my chute during a race - but that was my own stupidity.

But with all that I've been through, I've still never had a bad day sailing :) Not one! In fact I'm going out again in 15 minutes.

Have fun out there. I know that I will!
 
#77 · (Edited)
Back to the wheel / tiller thing , if the wheel is what you want than by all means get the wheel . If you think it's better , it is . My boat is tiller , but I sail on my friends boat all the time . He has a beautiful 96' Catalina 32 . When I steer the boat it's a hoot, I steer it back wards like a tiller. Here is a pic of the great Don Jon texing while steering . By the way Don single hands all the time .(Nobody can stand to watch him tex).
 
#78 ·
Thank you Westsailforever for bringing us back. ;) I think some discussion of what one can do more or less easily solo with a tiller vs. wheel is valid, but it is also possible to wander off a bit from that topic.

So far there are not "Text and Sail" laws, so I guess your friend is safe. For the time being anyway.
 
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