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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

wheel steering

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dasreboot
Admiral

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803 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/19/2016 : 12:17:35

have many people made this conversion? I dont want wheel steering, so no need to dissuade me, just curious.

http://vermont.craigslist.org/boa/5742988110.html

Todd Lewis
Eowyn 87 TR/WK C25 #5656
ARWEN 84 TR/SK C25 #4031
www.mainsailsailingschool.com

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 09/19/2016 : 18:21:14

Definitely the exception + unsightly hardware on the rudder.

1989 C25 TR/WK, #5822
1973 McVay Minuet 19
1975 Jester 12
1981 C25 SR/SK, #2428
1981 C22 SR/SK,
Tanzer 16
Sunfish

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Kenneth Grahame

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2016 : 16:54:24

If you know what a Poser is, as in "He has an awesome board but can't ride", then you understand the danger of over indulging on toys on a 25' boat... no body wants to be "All hat and no cattle". On the other hand if an "overupgrade" makes you smile then put those two speed self-tailers on and have a ball. No T-cockpit no wheel.

Frank Hopper

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2016 : 19:26:16

quote:
Originally posted by pastmember

...No T-cockpit no wheel.

That points to a disadvantage of a wheel on a C-25: the cockpit is narrow, with very little space between the seats, so with a wheel, you'd pretty much have to climb up on a seat to get around it. (I guess in that boat you could sit down and slide under it--not what you want to have to do to quickly get to a winch.) I haven't seen one other than in a few pictures like that. The C-250 cockpit is substantially wider, and a fair number of C-250s have wheels. Not that I would want one on either.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2016 : 19:39:38

I wouldn't want a wheel I couldn't stand behind. It seems to me on our boats the cockpit sole isn't wide enough for standing. You'd have to move the mainsheet forward of the wheel to avoid helmsman decapitation.

Seth
"Outlier" 1987 Catalina 25 SR/SK/Traditional Interior #5541
"Zoo" 1977 Morgan Out Island 30
"Nomad" 1980 Prindle 16
"Lost" 1988 Catalina Capri 14.2 (sold - yay!)
"Marine Tex 1" Unknown Origin POS 8' Fiberglass Dinghy
https://whichsailboat.com/2014/07/27/catalina-25-review/

dasreboot
Admiral

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803 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2016 : 05:31:37

quote:
Originally posted by Stinkpotter

quote:
Originally posted by pastmember

...No T-cockpit no wheel.
That points to a disadvantage of a wheel on a C-25: the cockpit is narrow, with very little space between the seats, so with a wheel, you'd pretty much have to climb up on a seat to get around it.

yeah my cheoy lee 36 was like that. you stepped up on the cockpit seats to get around it.

Todd Lewis
Eowyn 87 TR/WK C25 #5656
ARWEN 84 TR/SK C25 #4031
www.mainsailsailingschool.com

jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2016 : 08:11:06

I've always enjoyed skippering wheel boats more than my mine.... until I got the balanced rudder. You couldn't pry the tiller out of my hands now.

Jeremy Duck
The Lucky Duck
1980 SKSR Hull # 1850

dasreboot
Admiral

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803 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2016 : 09:11:37

quote:
Originally posted by jduck00

I've always enjoyed skippering wheel boats more than my mine.... until I got the balanced rudder. You couldn't pry the tiller out of my hands now.

I agree, I dont get the same feel, or know exactly where the rudder is with a wheel . On a wheel steered boat im always looking down at the rudderpost( at least in light winds when the helm is sluggish).

Todd Lewis
Eowyn 87 TR/WK C25 #5656
ARWEN 84 TR/SK C25 #4031
www.mainsailsailingschool.com

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2016 : 13:28:45

The wheel can be especially problematic when you start backing out of a slip!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2016 : 16:19:43

Probably the real reason he's selling the boat. Got tired of banging his knee's and shin's on that dumb thing.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 09/22/2016 : 05:46:32

If you ever charter a bigger boat on vacation, or buy a bigger boat, the overwhelming likelihood is that it will have a wheel. Steering with a wheel really isn't any more difficult than steering with a tiller. It's just different, and, there's a learning period involved, just as there was when you first learned to steer with a tiller. The rudder works the same, regardless of whether it is controlled by a tiller or wheel. It just takes a little practice to train your brain to know the difference.

The biggest thing you'll miss is the feedback that you get from a tiller. You get feedback from a wheel, but it's much more subtle and it takes awhile to develop it. In the absence of tiller pressure to tell you when the boat and sail trim are in balance, you need other indicators to help you steer the boat into it's "groove." The most helpful "tools" you can use for that purpose are the vane atop the mast, sail telltales, and an apparent wind indicator (AWI). The AWI is invaluable at night, because you can't see the telltales or the vane, but the AWI tells you when you are steering at the correct closehauled angle.

When the vane's arrow is pointing at the index, you will be close to the correct angle to sail closehauled. If the telltales aren't streaming, then you are steering too close to windward.

When steering with a tiller, you get much of that information from the feel of the tiller. With a wheel, all those tools provide a substitute for that feedback.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2016 : 10:20:55

A wheel generally also prevents a common error among novices: over-steering, such that the rudder "stalls", becoming more of a brake than a rudder. Wheel systems generally limit the rudder angle to something like 45 degrees, which is roughly the limit for efficient turning (unless you can turn the motor 90 deg. so the boat pivots in place).

I once went out with another guy on his boat, and he almost crashed into some boats across the fairway from his slip because he pushed the tiller hard over to about 90 deg., and the boat went virtually straight ahead, with him cursing at it! I grabbed the tiller from him and we turned just barely in time.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.