Long Stays at the Helm . . .

[Pete7]

Steve,

I agree with Nick having done 14 hours on the wheel through the teeth of a gale and I am not doing it again. We now have a Raymarine ST2000 which allows trips to the fridge, cooker or loo without worrying about the course. Brilliantly simple devices providing you don't get them wet.

I would rip that wheel out and revert to tiller, then use one of the Raymarine tiller pilots either ST1000 or ST2000 Best $400 you could ever spend.

Pete

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Steve,

I agree with Nick having done 14 hours on the wheel through the teeth of a gale and I am not doing it again. We now have a Raymarine ST2000 which allows trips to the fridge, cooker or loo without worrying about the course. Brilliantly simple devices providing you don't get them wet.

I would rip that wheel out and revert to tiller, then use one of the Raymarine tiller pilots either ST1000 or ST2000 Best $400 you could ever spend.

Pete

+A1 ST2000

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Steve,

I agree with Nick having done 14 hours on the wheel through the teeth of a gale and I am not doing it again. We now have a Raymarine ST2000 which allows trips to the fridge, cooker or loo without worrying about the course. Brilliantly simple devices providing you don't get them wet.

I would rip that wheel out and revert to tiller, then use one of the Raymarine tiller pilots either ST1000 or ST2000 Best $400 you could ever spend.

Pete

wanted a st2000 but I was told they only work in calm situations???
in less then favorable they supose to explode and leave you stranded (so they say) farthermore I read a few sources that advise to cary a spare unit cause it will fail for sure...if they do work as you say they do, id be the happyest sailor belive me

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by jobi

wanted a st2000 but I was told they only work in calm situations???
in less then favorable they supose to explode and leave you stranded (so they say) farthermore I read a few sources that advise to cary a spare unit cause it will fail for sure...if they do work as you say they do, id be the happyest sailor belive me

ROLF.... you been listening to 'Yard Talk' again mate...
they work just fine...
Just gotta get familiar with the settings for conditions...
and they're pretty waterproof I've found..
Have not yet tested dropping one over the side yet tho',,,

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by boatman61

ROLF.... you been listening to 'Yard Talk' again mate...
they work just fine...
Just gotta get familiar with the settings for conditions...
and they're pretty waterproof I've found..
Have not yet tested dropping one over the side yet tho',,,

well I may be gullible but the st2000 is now officialy on my gift list...along with a $6 folding water tank and $4 fruit net

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Steve,

I agree with Nick having done 14 hours on the wheel through the teeth of a gale and I am not doing it again. We now have a Raymarine ST2000 which allows trips to the fridge, cooker or loo without worrying about the course. Brilliantly simple devices providing you don't get them wet.

I would rip that wheel out and revert to tiller, then use one of the Raymarine tiller pilots either ST1000 or ST2000 Best $400 you could ever spend.

Pete

+1 Otto is the second most important crewperson on board*.

Good back support is essential. I did 12 hours delivering a J24. I was wrecked.

(*The most important person is my girlfirend who fetches my beer. Without me Otto and her would be fine...)

[rgscpat]

Maybe someone could track down permission to scan the Lee Woas book? Used copies are around $380 dollars at Amazon and $100 at biblio -- ouch, out of my market. I tried to search for the Seven Seas Press; their last known address seemed to by 526 Thames St., in Newport, RI 02840 USA, which now seems to be The Peaceable Market. Seven Seas seemed to be active into the early 90's. They published a whole lot of stuff by cruisers, so someone like Ralph Naranjo (Cruising World) or Herb McCormick (among their authors) ought to know what became of them. Or maybe everyone knows what happened to Seven Seas and I'm just clueless today. I believe that probably for published books with (c) notice of that era, copyright would be held by the author or author's estate for the author's life plus seventy years.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Maybe someone could track down permission to scan the Lee Woas book? Used copies are around $380 dollars at Amazon and $100 at biblio -- ouch, out of my market. I tried to search for the Seven Seas Press; their last known address seemed to by 526 Thames St., in Newport, RI 02840 USA, which now seems to be The Peaceable Market. Seven Seas seemed to be active into the early 90's. They published a whole lot of stuff by cruisers, so someone like Ralph Naranjo (Cruising World) or Herb McCormick (among their authors) ought to know what became of them. Or maybe everyone knows what happened to Seven Seas and I'm just clueless today. I believe that probably for published books with (c) notice of that era, copyright would be held by the author or author's estate for the author's life plus seventy years.

I found a copy on Amazon for $75 today.

Thinking Seven Seas Press might be affiliated with Seven Seas Cruising Association I called them but they said no.

From what I have been able to find Woas died in 1998. I am going to try to contact his relatives to see if one of them received the copyright from the estate and if they are interested in a reissue or are willing to let the book go into the public domain.

[Tbrad]

I use a Crazy Creek Chair. For years I used it on long canoe trips. Then I tried it on my Catalina. Provides great butt and back support and you can even recline on it. Shifting positions with it is a snap.

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by Tbrad

I use a Crazy Creek Chair. For years I used it on long canoe trips. Then I tried it on my Catalina. Provides great butt and back support and you can even recline on it. Shifting positions with it is a snap.

was wondering about these chairs...they look practicle

[Shoalcove]

I agree with the others-long stretches are exhausting. Get an AP or vane or preferably both. The best reason to have a tiller IMHO is that the vane is simpler and works better than with a wheel and the AP can be cheaper or more durable than a wheel pilot. I have put in some long days on my wheel and find the concentration can be more tiring than the position. This years #1 goal is a new AP to supplement my Monitor

[rebel heart]

Being on the wheel through a storm is one of those things you want to have had done.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Being on the wheel through a storm is one of those things you want to have had done.

Well put!

The other thing you want to have done is cancelling all watches so that all hands remain on deck until the storm blows over.

[delmarrey]

Tillers hurt my back. Bad disk.
Plus the wife can't seem to figure out which way to go. Ever been pinned to the bulwark while backing down or in a rough sea?
I'll stick to my hydraulic, EZ spin, self locking, positive shift, instrument mounted pedestal.

[minaret]

I guess what sort of wheel steering you are talking about should be taken in to account. I can steer my boat with one finger on the wheel with the Teleflex hydraulic steering. My four year old daughters drive the 65k lb. boat sitting at the helm seat in the cockpit with one foot on the wheel, or likewise from the helm seat in the pilothouse, under sail. They love it. I could drive the boat from inside the pilothouse for days without getting too tired if the AP died. Nice and warm and dry, with tunes and the galley and a pilot berth right at hand. And all the nav instruments accessible from the lower helm. But I could see where sitting in a cold wet cockpit with manual powered wheel steering for hours could make you want a tiller....