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28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 9:19 pm
by SFBaysailor
So...I’m going to be posting an awful lot in the coming months. I brought up the question on the past, but during my clean out last weekend, I came across the tiller for my 28 CK. It doesn’t look like any ‘emergency’ tiller I’ve ever come across...it looks like a stout primary steering tiller.

My mizzenmast sheets off the stern rail, so there are no clearance issues there. My main questions are, has anyone done this and is the steering effort reasonable, and is the rudder head stout enough to take to torsional load?

I would love to free up the cockpit space and do away with another point of failure in the pedestal steering system.

Cheers~JD

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 9:54 pm
by Goose13
I have the 33 and it also had a stout emergency tiller and I had to use it for about 8 hours off the coast of Carmel CA. The chain Failed in the steering wheel and we deployed the tiller. I think we have similar rudders which are barn doors hanging off the stern. It takes a very strong hand to steer with the tiller. I would advise using the tiller in some strong wind and confused seas before you fully convert. I think you will find that it takes a lot of effort to move that rudder around with the tiller.

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:57 am
by SFBaysailor
Definitely the barn door! I’ll give it a go with the tiller before I commit, then. The boat has a Monitor vane, and I want it to be able to steer.

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:55 am
by bad
I understand the desire to free up cockpit space. When you are not sailing, the tiller folds up and away. And hand steering is more direct and enjoyable with a tiller. But the wheel/pedestal does provide some advantages. It's an additional handhold when in a seaway. Generally takes up less space while sailing. Monitor vane should attach to a tiller or wheel equally well, but below deck autopilots generally interface more easily to a wheel steering system.

RiI like the tiller on my little boat and the wheel on my Freedom. BTW, my emergency tiller is about 8 ft long.

Erik

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:51 pm
by gamayun
Also, if you have a below decks autopilot that connects to the quadrant, and if you ever have steerage issues at the pedestal (such as a broken chain) you could use the AP to steer.

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 7:56 pm
by SFBaysailor
gamayun wrote:Also, if you have a below decks autopilot that connects to the quadrant, and if you ever have steerage issues at the pedestal (such as a broken chain) you could use the AP to steer.
Good thought, but the quadrant on the 28 is actually ABOVE-deck on the 28...it's just under a teak grate behind the helm and shares it's domain with the cockpit drain. :D

Re: 28 CK...Dumping my wheel for the tiller?

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 3:36 pm
by Castaway
I tried using the emergency tiller on my Freedom 35 (same as the US F33), to lash the helm to lee whilst hove-to in strong winds and rough seas. It is a stout piece of kit, about 38mm diameter stainless tube, but it bent in the night, and I substituted a lashing to the wheel, which held without problem for the next several hours.
Even manoeuvring in the marina under power, it is hard work. Though the 28CK is a smaller boat, I doubt you will find the helm much lighter, and impossible in any sort of sea.
My Windpilot lines run under the cockpit sole and up to a drum on the wheel, which easily controls the boat.
If I had to use the emergency tiller for emergency steering, I would have to rig a block and tackle to it so I could apply sufficient force over more than a few minutes. Try it and see!
Gerald