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Tiller length

Kevin Sprouse
 

Hello everyone
I have a Willard 8 Ton Cruiser sailboat, one of 30.

I’m taking out the wheel steering and converting to a tiller. I have a couple questions for anyone who owns or who has knowledge of a tiller steering version of this SV.

How long is your tiller
How does the length work and would you want to shorten or lengthen
And any other lessons learned making this conversion

Regards
Kevin Sprouse
SV Jenny Ruth


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Willard 8-ton Cutter “ Jenny Ruth ( https://willardboats.org/boats/Jenny-Ruth ) ”
Jamie (Cal 40)
 

So that’s about 16000 lbs. I own a Cal40, about 18000 lbs
the cal forty was designed with a tiller. It’s a race boat, but the tiller takes a lot of cockpit space. 

switching to a tiller will also eliminate a lot of potential helmsmen. 

my boat switched to a wheel years ago, and I love it. Way simpler for novice crew, plus all the auto pilot stuff is down below. Go find a Cal40 and sail it on the bay in 20 kts. You’ll see why cruising boats have wheels. 


jamie
Kevin Sprouse
 

Getting around the wheel in a small cockpit is awful.  I also sail singlehanded and prefer a tiller for ease of tacking.  I also will be doing ocean sailing and I like simplicity and bullet proof functionality, auto pilot and ability to use tiller to sheet steering etc….


On Nov 3, 2022, at 4:07 PM, Cgsailingmasterandcommander@... wrote:



So that’s about 16000 lbs. I own a Cal40, about 18000 lbs
the cal forty was designed with a tiller. It’s a race boat, but the tiller takes a lot of cockpit space. 

switching to a tiller will also eliminate a lot of potential helmsmen. 

my boat switched to a wheel years ago, and I love it. Way simpler for novice crew, plus all the auto pilot stuff is down below. Go find a Cal40 and sail it on the bay in 20 kts. You’ll see why cruising boats have wheels. 


jamie


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Willard 8-ton Cutter “Jenny Ruth”
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