You can convert most
wheel boats to tiller, particularly if the
rudder post comes up to the
cockpit floor/seat with an access panel for the
emergency tiller. It's not terribly complicated.
- Remove the
pedestal, quadrant, etc., patch the
deck.
- Buy a tiller, tiller
head, and
deck seal, and suitable shifter/throttle.
- Extend the post with a sleeve and tube to the required height
- Relocate the shifter throttle and install, put the rest together
- Go sailing
I know quite a few people who've done this. If you're lucky selling the wheel,
pedestal, and binnacle covers the cost of the conversion.
So instead of looking for boats with a tiller, look for boats that can be easily converted to tiller. Your choices will open up dramatically. That said, you're going to want to look for boats that balance well. A wheel often makes a boat's
weather helm less apparent which will become more of an issue when you switch to tiller.