Steering wheel or tiller

[Lily Rose]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

As I started to read this post a hire boat came a cropper in the winding hole here due to wind and inexperience. I have just rescued them being a superstar boathandler and all that. I wouldn't be boating today but hirers have no choice. River is fab innitt  should be this way for a beer soon then?

Hi Tim,

Yes indeed (re both the river and beer).

I would have preferred not boating today but with wind forecast tomorrow as well, and with us being in a much less favourable location than Thrupp last night, I decided to do it anyway. All went well and we now have a nice unshady spot (for the panels)  a couple of hundred yards before Annie's for a day or three so all is good

I'm hoping to get in touch with Alex Chimney (as I now refer to him) before we leave Thrupp as I don´t want to miss him again on the way back up. I've texted him but, like last time, still no reply a day or so on. I'll try ringing him tomorrow and I'll PM you once I have a better idea when we'll be coming through LH. Probably see you at the weekend or early next week. I'm hoping to avoid the busy turnaround days (if I could remember what they were!) but there are other considerations that may take precedence.

Sean

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, MrBeethoven said:

Hi Tim,

Yes indeed (re both the river and beer).

I would have preferred not boating today but with wind forecast tomorrow as well, and with us being in a much less favourable location than Thrupp last night, I decided to do it anyway. All went well and we now have a nice unshady spot (for the panels)  a couple of hundred yards before Annie's for a day or three so all is good

I'm hoping to get in touch with Alex Chimney (as I now refer to him) before we leave Thrupp as I don´t want to miss him again on the way back up. I've texted him but, like last time, still no reply a day or so on. I'll try ringing him tomorrow and I'll PM you once I have a better idea when we'll be coming through LH. Probably see you at the weekend or early next week. I'm hoping to avoid the busy turnaround days (if I could remember what they were!) but there are other considerations that may take precedence.

Sean

Hi Sean

Fridays and Mondays are the VERY busy days. There are turn rounds all other days but not near as many boats as Mondays and Fridays.

[Lily Rose]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Hi Sean

Fridays and Mondays are the VERY busy days. There are turn rounds all other days but not near as many boats as Mondays and Fridays.

It definitely won't be Friday but it might be Monday (I'll just shut my eyes, cross my fingers and hope for the best as we come through!) depending on when/if I get to see Alex and also a possible visit from family this weekend. I was also hoping to avoid Tue and Wed in case a visit to Kizzie's is required by SWMBO.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, MrBeethoven said:

It definitely won't be Friday but it might be Monday (I'll just shut my eyes, cross my fingers and hope for the best as we come through!) depending on when/if I get to see Alex and also a possible visit from family this weekend. I was also hoping to avoid Tue and Wed in case a visit to Kizzie's is required by SWMBO.

Although Mondays are busy here they are actualy a good day to move from Thrupp to here as most boats here and oxford are alongside all day and don't start going out until 1.30 in the afternoon so its a good day to travel.

[Bromleyxphil]

Thanks for all the input guys, glad everyone thinks the same way on the subject.  As with all my questions you do help me come to my own decision once in charge of all the pros and cons

phil

[blackrose]

19 hours ago, Robbo said:

I would say a wheel is better when manoeuvring at slower close quarters like when turning around is that I can just leave the rudder on fully over and go back/forward on the engine controls.   Harder on a tiller especially on a wide beam where your controls may not be too hand.

Depends on the boat I guess. My controls are always within easy reach, but occasionally it would be nice to be able to keep the rudder in a certain position and leave the tiller without it swinging back. I've steered a big 70 x 12.5ft replica Dutch barge on the Thames and it was fine once I got used to the wheel. But when we got down to Limehouse to owner took over and it seemed like a lot of manic wheel turning to get it into the lock and then manoeuvre in the basin. I'd have rather had a tiller for those bits. 

[Robbo]

1 minute ago, blackrose said:

Depends on the boat I guess. My controls are always within easy reach, but occasionally it would be nice to be able to keep the rudder in a certain position and leave the tiller without it swinging back. I've steered a big 70 x 12.5ft replica Dutch barge on the Thames and it was fine once I got used to the wheel. But when we got down to Limehouse to owner took over and it seemed like a lot of manic wheel turning to get it into the lock and then manoeuvre in the basin. I'd have rather had a tiller for those bits. 

Would you recommend if having a boat built your size where when reversing if the boat naturally goes anti clockwise you would have the controls on the right as that's more likely where you would have the tiller when turning around?

I think mine is around 4.5 turns from lock to lock, so not so manic

[blackrose]

19 minutes ago, Robbo said:

Would you recommend if having a boat built your size where when reversing if the boat naturally goes anti clockwise you would have the controls on the right as that's more likely where you would have the tiller when turning around?

 

My controls are on the left (port side) of the tiller which suits me as I'm right handed and prefer to stand (or sit) on the left. 

I was once on the Thames with a couple of friends - one of whom claimed to be into boats. We were somewhere near Chiswick and I needed the toilet so he said he would take the helm. I asked him if he would rather steer standing to the right or left of the tiller and he replied "either" so I was confident he knew what he was doing. My mistake! I was halfway through my piss when I heard all this screaming from the stern. I ran out to find us heading straight for the bank at about 1600rpm! I quickly took over, cut the revs and turned the boat away from the bank in time. It was my mistake to leave him without first checking that he understood how to use a tiller, but he seemed so confident and he owned a dinghy & outboard which is basically the same, so I don't know what he was thinking!

If I push the tiller right over to starboard (bow to port) then the morse lever is just out or reach, but I can hold the tiller further back on the brass bar (rather than the wooden handle) and then I can reach the controls. Anyway, it's never been a problem.   

Edited August 4, 2017 by blackrose

[Robbo]

When I'm in my rowing boat with an outboard I sit on the right with the arm in the left hand, I struggle to steer if not, when on my small sailing boat (7.5m), I usually sit to the of the left of the tiller, but can easily sit to the right.  Wheel, my controls are to the left, and my boat turns anti-clockwise when reversing so I tend to stand to the left of the wheel if I need to look down the side of the boat.

[blackrose]

My boat stays in a straight line when reversing - thanks to my BT 

[Matt&Jo]

When using tiller on small ribs and outboards i always sit to the left of the tiller and steer with my right. Ive almost come a cropper a few times when doing about 17knots and turning hard to port......recovering the g force and pulling the tiller back towards you is no walk in the park.....ive seen people thrown out doing this luckily kill cord attached.....no such issues at 2mph tho but i should imagine striking the canal bed or an obstruction can cause a significant kick back......

[Robbo]

1 minute ago, Matt&Jo said:

When using tiller on small ribs and outboards i always sit to the left of the tiller and steer with my right. Ive almost come a cropper a few times when doing about 17knots and turning hard to port......recovering the g force and pulling the tiller back towards you is no walk in the park.....ive seen people thrown out doing this luckily kill cord attached.....no such issues at 2mph tho but i should imagine striking the canal bed or an obstruction can cause a significant kick back......

Actually I think I may sit to the left, it's been a while!.  As the control is on the tiller I find one side is very unnatural. 

[Robbo]

49 minutes ago, blackrose said:

My boat stays in a straight line when reversing - thanks to my BT 

When turning the boat around don't you use the natural turning to one side when reversing to aid you?

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, Robbo said:

When turning the boat around don't you use the natural turning to one side when reversing to aid you?

Yes, but I usually turn the boat around in forward rather than reverse as I have more control. My boat turns almost within its own length.

Edited August 4, 2017 by blackrose