Wheel steering?

[Jwood1]

I remember reading somewhere that only one prototype Telstar was made with wheel steering, and that all the production boats use a tiller. Is that correct? Im confused because there are several used boats listed on Yachtworld with pictures of a boat with a wheel. It appears that several folks are using stock Performance Cruising pictures of the boats rather than of their own boats, and to use pictures of one with a wheel is pretty misleading. This is less than helpful when trying to compare used boats for sale.

[Dan]

Yes, AFAIK, only one boat had wheel steering. It is really a problem of boat brokers being to damn lazy to take photos of the actual boat they're selling and relying on stock photos from the manufacturer.

[Ron]

The one boat with the wheel was more of an experiment for PCI and they dropped the idea. I think that the complex linkage between the rudder, motor and wheel was just too much. Note that the tiller controls both the rudder AND motor when the two shafts are pinned together, and just the rudder when they are not. The wheel got in the way of that idea. The boat manuevers much better under power when the motor moves with the rudder.

[Dan]

Not having the rudder and engine linked under power would really hamper the boat’s handling IMHO. The steering also added a fair bit of weight to the boat, and tied you to the cockpit more than the tiller does.

[Graham]

I know this an old post but just as an update and to keep the records straight. There are two telstars with wheel steering. The original prototype # 300 known as Barney has wheel steering and this is the boat you see in those photos. The other boat with wheel steering is # 302 and I was told by PCI that this was an experiment and was never completed because it was too involved. BTW # 302 was never finished.

[Ron]

BTW # 302 was never finished.

And you're the proud owner of it now. Have you figured out which one (301/302) will become the "parts" boat?

[tricruiser]

Hello Graham,

I saw a wheel installed on a Dragonfly 28 (Hydraulic ram) wheel on left Bulkhead.
Worked very well.
Big advantage, more weight in the middle of the boat, closer to instruments, possible use of a user friendly autopilot (just button on/off)
The boat also had a link between rudder and engine.
Could anyone give me a photo of the # 300 with the wheel?
I will certainly do everything possible to install one on mine!
Many thanks
Tricruiser

[Ron]

I will certainly do everything possible to install one on mine!

I don't think you really want to do that. The tiller works better on a trimaran this size. Maybe when you get up to 90 feet like USA17 you'd want a pair of wheels. It's faster, more accurate, safer, and less complicated. Steering corrections are immediate. Also lets you roam around the cockpit (with an extension). A wheel mounted on the bulkhead would confine you to that one uncomfortable spot. I thought I'd miss a wheel when I first bought the boat, but it took me about 10 minutes to realize that the tiller is better in this application. The 42 inch tiller they install is too long though. A number of us have installed 36 inch versions already. I would have gone a drop shorter but then I'd have no place to tie the adjustable extension to - it's about 35 inches long when pushed in.

[tricruiser]

Hello Ron,

Thanks for your comments,
Will take that on board. Will not change anything without sailing the boat for a while.
It is just that is is so easy to go from manual to Auto with a wheel without having to go to the tiller, put the auto pilot in the pin, etc...
Many Thanks for your comments

tricruiser

[Graham]

Hi, Tricruiser, Boat # 300 and boat # 302 had wheel steering. Boat # 300 the original and first prototype 28 was half sunk and tied to the shore the last time I was down in Annapolis and was told it was to be scrapped. Tony would not sell it as it had amas that were not bouyant enough for the hull. Since I ended up with two boats # 301 and # 302 I decided to sell # 301 and put all my energy into # 302. I ended up getting the wheel steering to work both on the motor and the tiller and being able to disconnect the motor when it wasn't needed. However, Ron is right, there is just no feel thru the wheel ( I'm a poet and didn't know it) and also it takes 3.5 turns lock to lock. Plus the fact the auto steering setup is alot more expensive and a pain to install. I played with the wheel just out of curisosity and am now in the process of converting the boat back to tiller steering. While Tony's set up is great I am also putting in a redundant system just in case there is ever a break in the steering. The redunant system is cable actually dyneema operated using a pulley system like the original prototypes. So I go along with Ron stay away from wheel steering on the Telstar.