Do i need such a massive wheel?

[Mr B]

You can use a smaller wheel, But you may have to change the gearing in the box,

Smaller wheel, Less leverage, Harder to turn,

Changing the gearing for the smaller wheel, You will have to turn the wheel a lot further round for the same direction changes,

[Teknav]

Hiya Scoob! Would an aviation stick/yoke help? It is found on planes and subs; you'd be the first boat to have one. Not sure though, when you push the yoke in what will happen to your boat! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya Scoob! Would an aviation stick/yoke help? It is found on planes and subs; you'd be the first boat to have one. Not sure though, when you push the yoke in what will happen to your boat! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

NO! it will be like my first flight, left wing dipped, i corrected for the "skid" by turning the yoke left didn't go well. being a pilot, i think i can manage...

[Celestialsailor]

It hasn't been mentioned but on my Ingrid 38, it had a 6 ft. tiller, on a barn door rudder controlling 26,000 lbs. of boat. Was not to big of a problem and lots of room in the cockpit to maneuver.

[bobconnie]

Why would you want a shiney wooden rim wheel, when the rest of your brightwork is so dingey ?? LOL just kidding! Ive always found a bigger wheel to be an advantage in heavy weather! just my 2 cents

[Teknav]

Hiya BobConnie! ++ Not sure where Scoob picked up that boat...it might need "decades" of TLC work!!! (just kidding.)

Mauritz

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Mr B

You can use a smaller wheel, But you may have to change the gearing in the box,

Smaller wheel, Less leverage, Harder to turn,

Changing the gearing for the smaller wheel, You will have to turn the wheel a lot further round for the same direction changes,

There was very little difference on my boat. I have a T-cockpit also, and I prefer to be able to move freely, esp. when things have just gotten dicey. I don't like having to say "get out of my way" to guests.

It well may depend on the overall configuration of the cockpit, but I wouldn't like the setup you have. What if you've been stuck in rough weather for a long time and fatigue is setting in? Sailing can be tough and rough. I say make it easy where you can.

[Kenomac]

You'll need the bigger wheel in heavy weather; your wheel looks about right. While at anchor or in port, some people just remove the wheel so that it's not in the way.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You'll need the bigger wheel in heavy weather; your wheel looks about right. While at anchor or in port, some people just remove the wheel so that it's not in the way.

Just what I was about to suggest! It may be hard to get it off the first time, but with a little cleaning and lubricating it will slide off and on easily.

Just be careful to not drop it overboard...

Cheers,

Jim

[hellosailor]

scoob, whatever floats your boat. If you want to use a 20" wheel, put some tape on the spokes at the 20" point, and next time you are out, try steering the boat from that point on the spokes, to get some idea how much extra effort or less sensitivity it will give you. You "should" be steering with your fingertips and barely any steering input on the wheel anyway, at least most of the time. If you are happy with how it steers...by all means, do it.

[zeehag]

i have a nice salty spoked wooden wheel. fits my boat well and is tiny damnear..perfect for my wood appearance even tho i have a fg boat...i believe i have seen these coolass wheels on tayana 37s also.

[Teknav]

Hiya Scoob! Can you use a wheel from Mark Twain's paddle-wheeler "Mississippi Delta Queen?" You'll look unique!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You'll need the bigger wheel in heavy weather; your wheel looks about right. While at anchor or in port, some people just remove the wheel so that it's not in the way.

Or you may not need the bigger wheel. You're going to have to try it out under varying conditions.

I would not want a smaller wheel on my boat. When sailing on smooth seas, as long as I have the sails properly trimmed and balanced very little force is required at the helm. I could steer with a wheel the size of a dinner plate.

But, when I'm sailing hard in big quartering seas, with my unbalanced barn-door rudder I occasionally need two hands and one foot to keep the boat under control. This isn't a matter of being over-canvassed or poorly trimmed, it's just that gravity is trying to pull the stern down the face of the wave, and my unbalanced rudder is the only thing that's going to stop me from going sideways to the seas.

During one Hawaii race I had a green crewmember who wasn't holding us on course in the big seas. I asked him what was going on and he told me that he had the rudder hard over. I stepped in and found that there was still at least half a turn to go. He then admitted that he was afraid of breaking the wheel/rudder linkage. I informed him that while the steering might break *him*, he wasn't going to break anything (the steering system is geared and has solid, tough, linkages). After that he stopped being so timid, and was steering just fine.

Things would have been easier with a more balanced rudder, but there are also advantages to the way it was designed...

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

Why would you want a shiney wooden rim wheel, when the rest of your brightwork is so dingey ?? LOL just kidding! Ive always found a bigger wheel to be an advantage in heavy weather! just my 2 cents

that photo is not very up-to-date
S/V Union Pacific : Reading and teaking.