Yup, converted to a tiller. Why? I single hand quite often in races. So to adjust the choker it meant stepping up on the seat, back down to the floor, adjust the line, back up on the seat and then back down on the floor behind the wheel. My mid 60’s carpenter knees were barking after a few laps. So I took out the wheel and put in a tiller. Totally changed the boat.
The cockpit in my 26 is now spacious instead of tight. Way better rudder control. Way more comfortable and being able to sit on the coaming steering with the tiller extension is absolutely amazing.
I tried sailing with the emergency tiller before going this route so the absolutely perfect helm balance wasn’t a surprise. Finger tip control.
I also had the sail modified so the top two battens are full length. Excellent sail shape now. I love this boat even more.
The winch relocation to centre is the way it should have been done. Fewer turning blocks and easy to reach on both tacks. No issues with the mount moving in up to 12 knots of wind and even an intensional crash jibe.
The conversion to tiller involved relocating the engine control and the instruments. That was by far the biggest job.
I know exactly what you mean. My previous 36ft, 12-ton boat had a tiller and I absolutely loved it.
Did you make any structural changes to the cockpit, or did you simply convert the emergency tiller into your primary steering and remove the pedestal? Also, what’s the maximum rudder angle you can achieve before the tiller is blocked by the emergency-tiller-inspection-cover-hole or hits the cockpit backrests?
I’m considering a similar setup, but I’d want the tiller to be able to hinge upward. That would require some major cockpit modifications and relocating the mainsheet. The fact that these changes would be irreversible is exactly what’s been holding me back.
I had a stainless piece made that slips over the rudder head similar to the emergency tiller. From that I have a slip on tiller that can be removed. Right now it’s just heavy wall plastic electrical conduit. …I had it and it fit.
The engine controls are relocated to where the little cubby shelf was on the starboard side seat face. I can now kick the throttle with my foot. A little box was made so nothing sticks out from the seat face. The gauges are on this piece too.
it is a bit of a one way project. Putting everything back to original would be at least as much work. I was going to keep the wheel assembly, just in case. But this change has so greatly improved the boat for my use and type of sailing that that won’t happen.
Oh… once I removed the mounting ring for the emergency tiller cover the new tiller allows as much range as the wheel did. I’ll make a boot to cover the hole similar to a shifter boot in a car.
I was recently gifted with copies of some of Gordon Fisher’s early design drawings for the Nonsuch 30. I’ll be writing an article for the INA Update about them in the near future.
The drawings show that Fisher originally envisioned a tiller when he commissioned the N30 design. With Fisher, Hinterhoeller, and Mark Ellis all now passed away, I don’t know if we’ll ever know when/why/how the decision to switch to wheels was made.
Conversions go both ways. I used to own a Columbia 36 that had been converted from tiller to wheel steering. The interesting thing about that was that the rudder post was in the cockpit floor, right where you stood to operate the wheel. If you didn’t stand with your feet far enough apart, the fitting at the top of the rudder would bonk your ankles as the rudder rotated. The adapted emergency tiller was a vertical tee bar that dropped on the head. You pushed with one arm while pulling with the other. I’m glad I never needed it, because I very much doubt it gave enough leverage.
In general, tillers are a lot more racing oriented and wheels are better for cruising.
I’m curious if you use an autopilot, and if so, what was involved in setting one up for a tiller on a N26.
Rudder head piece from stainless. The part that goes forward is swept up slightly. I think the rudder shaft is at a bit of an angle with the top being slightly more forward than below. The shifter boot will attach where the old ring for the inspection plate was.
New engine control and gauge location. Not a lot of space available for everything so the gauges ended up in a different orientation. Yes, the shifter is upside down and ropes won’t get in behind the control. There will also be a heat outlet here and some lighting. Needs details finished.
For the autopilot I’ll use a tiller pilot that I have. They are very simple and work great with boat as easily steered as the 26. All controls are on the unit and you just plug and play. An under deck unit would be nice but they are a little pricey.
I find the tiller is a big improvement to the way I use the boat… club racing and short cruises. It’s definitely not for everyone! Not sure if the bigger boats would be as balanced as the 26.
Yes, I recall seeing the original version of the 30 with a tiller. Possibly an outboard rudder also?
The tiller should have been standard with the wheel as an option. Would have saved thousands, even back in the day.
Ron, this is really cool to see. I have kind of dreamed about this - esp re: ease to manouever from the cockpit to the helm.I never thought seriously about converting mine, but as I simplify the boat for geriatric sailing this might be an option - or at least a folding wheel. I love tiller steering and helm in club races on a 30’ tiller-steered sloop, for my friend who prefers to manage the sails on his boat (a PT 30).
About rudder angle. On my N26’, when I tried to install a rudder sensor along with the RayNav wheelpilot, I found the max rudder angle is somewhat higher than the 60º the sensor allows, so it blew right off the carboard template I first mounted it on. I am installing new rudder stops to 60º as we just rebuilt support the gussets on the rudder post.
I like your single lever engine control. Interested to know how you like the gauges and such so far forward. I look forward to seeing your progress as you continue detailing, and hear about how it all works for you! Could you show some more views of the mainsheet block and winch mount?
Amazing modification! I had a tiller on my former boat, a Cape Dory 25D, and I loved it! I’m 78 now and in the second year with a Nonsuch 22 with a wheel. I don’t race and only do short overnights now so the wheel suits me just fine. I found the tiller was always in the way with passengers but with the huge 22 cockpit and the wheel the passengers are not in the way at all!
I raced a J105 with a tiller which is a 34 ft racer/cruiser with the emphasis on racer. The feel was far more precise than a wheel but in San Francisco, where the winds are regularly above 20 kts, boats have wheels. I find the wheel on my N30 quite precise but, yes, it is difficult to manage the mainsheet and choker single-handed. In part that is because of the single mainsheet winch and I’m not sure you could put a winch on either side. The best advantage of the wheel is the clear, close view of the chartplotter and instruments. While a tiller might aid course racing, I don’t think it would help longer distance events. Autopilot helps a lot but gybing to close hauled round a mark is still hard if you are on your own. Not sure that the conversion is allowed under the racing class rules. Overall I would need to be convinced that the tiller is an improvement, even for course racing.
It seems like you could. Run the sheet from one of the winches, through the usual turning block, to a double block instead of the usual single one, up to the block on the boom, back down and through the other side of the double block, through a turning block on the opposite side of the boat, and to the second winch. I don’t know how practical it would be. You’d always have to be making sure that you had enough line on whichever side you were working. Could be too complex, but it might work.
I’m not sure either replacing the wheel with a tiller or rigging winches to port and starboard is worth the trouble, at least not on a 30. My biggest difficulty in racing single-handed is hauling in the main after gybing round the upwind mark to go close-hauled. The faster it’s hauled in, the more competitive you are. How does a tiller help with this? As for the choker you can set before you turn without losing significant way. The easiest solution to both problems would be electric winches but I still like sailing to be a physical sport.
