Conversion from wheel to tiller steering

[DaleB]

Are there any 26X mods that convert from wheel steering to tiller steering? If so, are there any pictures?

Thanks for any help!

Dale

[wccorder]

Why????

[Russ]

Thought about doing this. Then realized one major problem is when under power it's not a good idea to have tiller steering while going 20mph.

[fdeoreo]

Dale,

My first thought is look at emergency tiller setups. Here is a great one! not too traditional but still a starting point for thinking about hardware and simple connections.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=618

If you try an emergency/temporary tiller setup first then you will know if you like it before removing the wheel etc....

Here is a macgregorsailors discussion:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... er#p245975

Here is a big boat discussion:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f55 ... 04725.html

Good luck!

francis joshua

[mastreb]

Thought about doing this. Then realized one major problem is when under power it's not a good idea to have tiller steering while going 20mph.

Powering on a plane is why I gave up on the idea as well. I think it would be possible to go to hydraulic and then move the steering wheel to the port or starboard side of the companionway if your goal is to get rid of the helm console.

[Retcoastie]

I don't know why folks think it would be so hard to steer with a tiller. I have used and seen tons of flat bottom work boats using 50hp and larger motors going very fast steered with the motor handle. Seems the flat bottom of the X would work the same way.

Here is a highly modified X I saw in Canada last year.

Here is the tiller with the life jackets hanging on it. (Note dingy hanging out back window)

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Here is the solar panel rack and dingy carrier.



And the bowsprit.



Looked like they got around alright.

Ken

[March]

One of the selling points that caught my untrained eye when I started researching the Mac was the wheel. Of course, the steering mechanism is more complex than the tiller, but the advantages (I thought) seemed obvious to a neophyte, though not necessarily so to seasoned sailors used to tillers. I would never dream of getting rid of the steering column. It has come to accommodate electronics, a folding table, compass and tach, the engine controls, an additional fuse panel inside, and so forth. I never felt the pedestal was obtrusively in the way, even though it certainly is when one scrambles around in the cockpit to serve guests.

To me the question sounds purely academic. Of course the Mac's wheel may be retrofitted to accommodate a tiller. That's what Roger did when he converted the earlier, tiller steering Venturas and Macs to a wheel. I see it as an improvement and I would be hard-pressed to reinvent the wheel (or the tiller, in this case)

[Ixneigh]

I've given the topic some thought and I figure one if the easiest ways to do it is a sail by wire system. Ie no direct linkage. The tiller could be anywhere. It could even by an iPhone, tilt to steer. For simplicity sake let's say you had a direct wire to a servo unit below decks on the steering bar with an easy disconnect of course. I think the preferred tiller would In fact be a whipstaff coming up from just about where the binnacle column is. It would be removable while at anchor. Not sure how to make that socket waterproof maybe a rubber boot. The motor throttle would have to be mounted some place also.
I think someone talented could put the steering motor controls, tach, fuel, nav and everything on the iPad. Leave the boat, take the iPad with you. No keys, no visible controls , no wheel no tiller now try to steal the boat. They might manage but not without a lot of head scratching.
Don't drop the iPad over the side however.
Me , I am happy with the wheel for now. I would like the make the binnacle stronger to really be able to hold onto it. And the rudder system also. That is where I would rather focus my energy.
Ix

[kurz]

If you want to tray tiller mode, here you go:


You even could mount 2 tillers, one at each side, must look very modern

[mastreb]

I've given the topic some thought and I figure one if the easiest ways to do it is a sail by wire system. Ie no direct linkage. The tiller could be anywhere. It could even by an iPhone, tilt to steer. For simplicity sake let's say you had a direct wire to a servo unit below decks on the steering bar with an easy disconnect of course. I think the preferred tiller would In fact be a whipstaff coming up from just about where the binnacle column is. It would be removable while at anchor. Not sure how to make that socket waterproof maybe a rubber boot. The motor throttle would have to be mounted some place also.
I think someone talented could put the steering motor controls, tach, fuel, nav and everything on the iPad. Leave the boat, take the iPad with you. No keys, no visible controls , no wheel no tiller now try to steal the boat. They might manage but not without a lot of head scratching.
Don't drop the iPad over the side however.
Me , I am happy with the wheel for now. I would like the make the binnacle stronger to really be able to hold onto it. And the rudder system also. That is where I would rather focus my energy.
Ix

So I have a sail-by-wire system with the EV-100 and the MadMan iPhone app and wireless connector. I have never gotten the balls up to rely on it But I too have given a lot of though to going completely "sail-by-wire" with just an autopilot ram on the rudders, a "power steer" head unit autopilot such as the RayMarine p71r, and an emergency tiller made from a rod-holder bolted to the top cowl of the outboard and a boathook.

If I were ever to remove the steering pedestal, steer-by-wire is almost certainly the way I would go. I rarely steer while sailing except by autopilot anymore, and powering with a power-steer function and a small knob is very simple.

[DaleB]

Thanks for all the comments. I had a Venture 21 before I bought the 26x and really liked steering with a tiller. Also, my steering is really stiff and I figured if I have to repair the steering cable I might as well look at all my options. Once again, thanks for the comments.

Dale

[Helvio]

Hi Retcoastie,
Please can you share more pictures of your tiler solution? How did you connect the tiller axis to the rudders?
Thanks,
Helvio