Tiller Stearing on a Widebeam

[pquinn]

 

One way to find the Messiah I suppose

or bono

[Timleech]

 

Exactly. Why would the tiller on a widebeam need to be any further from the morse control than it is on a narrowboat? It should only be the beam of the boat that's wider, not the length of the tiller and not the distance between the tiller and the rest of the controls!

 

Actually, there is a possible reason.

A bigger boat will need a bigger rudder, for the same level of control, and that means more leverage (longer tiller) to operate it.

Yes a lot of modern narrowboats and similar craft have a lot of 'balance' on the rudder, and don't need much leverage in normal circumstances, when going ahead (I hate boats with too much balance, BTW).

 

Tim

[loubyscooby]

Ian's original post was because I reverse into my mooring. In doing so the tiller is hard to the right meaning that I am a distance from the controls and taking account of the wind etc where you do need to go forwards and reverse I can't always reach the gears so Ian does it. We were wondering how other people manage with that particular manoeuvre. I don't find it an issue when generally steering it and I'm happy to let the tiller go on occassions. Thanks for all the comments though.

 

Louise

[Guest]

Mis read the post...

Edited January 17, 2014 by The Dog House

[Sarah and Ian]

Ian's original post was because I reverse into my mooring. In doing so the tiller is hard to the right meaning that I am a distance from the controls and taking account of the wind etc where you do need to go forwards and reverse I can't always reach the gears so Ian does it. We were wondering how other people manage with that particular manoeuvre. I don't find it an issue when generally steering it and I'm happy to let the tiller go on occassions. Thanks for all the comments though.

 

Louise

I was trying to save your blushes. You just couldn't be cool!

[blackrose]

now there is the ''handy hint of the day''

 

i have done the slash over the side trick while single handing on a canal but always expect somebody to walk past mid stream.i have also been known to slow the boat to an almost halt and race in to the jax, let fly,grab a beer and race back out again before the boat gets buried in a bank.i know ,very irresponsible but only in the middle of nowhere. Paul

 

I've done it on canals too, but it's not possible on a river in flow...

 

Actually, there is a possible reason.

A bigger boat will need a bigger rudder, for the same level of control, and that means more leverage (longer tiller) to operate it.

Yes a lot of modern narrowboats and similar craft have a lot of 'balance' on the rudder, and don't need much leverage in normal circumstances, when going ahead (I hate boats with too much balance, BTW).

 

Tim

 

Does that hold true for wider boats or just longer boats?

 

I don't think my rudder is much bigger than the average 57ft narrowboat, and the tiller is certainly no longer, but the boat can turn almost within its own length at little more than idling speed. In fact I don't think I've ever noticed a NB style widebeam with a bigger tiller than the equivalent length narrowboat.

 

Anyway, even if as you say, a longer tiller is required (which I doubt), the end of the tiller should swing above the control pedestal so there's still no real reason that the two would have to be further apart.

Edited January 17, 2014 by blackrose

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Anyway, even if as you say, a longer tiller is required (which I doubt), the end of the tiller should swing above the control pedestal so there's still no real reason that the two would have to be further apart.

Only if you keep turning in the same direction

[blackrose]

Only if you keep turning in the same direction

 

Why? As I said, I don't think the tiller is any longer on my 12ft widebeam that it is on most narrowboats, but even if I were to fit a longer tiller, the control pedestal is positioned so that it would still be reachable in all positions except tiller hard to starboard (bow to port). But then as others have said, if you want to reach the morse control from that position you just hold the tiller halfway down.

 

This is a problem that doesn't exist on my widebeam any more than it does on a narrowboat.

Edited January 17, 2014 by blackrose

[ditchcrawler]

 

Why? As I said, I don't think the tiller is any longer on my 12ft widebeam that it is on most narrowboats, but even if I were to fit a longer tiller, the control pedestal is positioned so that it would still be reachable in all positions except tiller hard to starboard (bow to port). But then as others have said, if you want to reach the morse control from that position you just hold the tiller halfway down.

 

This is a problem that doesn't exist on my widebeam any more than it does on a narrowboat.

It was you who made the point a longer tiller would make you closer

"Anyway, even if as you say, a longer tiller is required (which I doubt), the end of the tiller should swing above the control pedestal"

[blackrose]

 

It was you who made the point a longer tiller would make you closer

 

Yes, but I'm afraid I still don't get your point? If I was closer then the control pedestal would still be within reach.

Edited January 18, 2014 by blackrose

[peterboat]

On my 12 foot widebeam I find it difficult at times, when the tiller is hard over the morse is out of reach so care is required when mooring up etc. I will have resolved this problem shortly because I have purchased a steering system and will be moving the morse at the same time. As a plus it should be more comfortable as well. As I have a wheelhouse I feel that I am not cheating

 

Peter