Cruising on a proa

[he b gb]

Trying to steer with those sideways whipstaff tillers would break my brain.

The helms on Cactus Island are basically whipstaff tillers that steer the same as a wheel. This cancels out any confusion that you might have with a vertical tiller.
Handy place to fit my Raymarine 2000 tillerpilot also.

 

[ProaSailor]

Trying to steer with those sideways whipstaff tillers would break my brain.

As I recall, push forward to head up, pull back to fall off? Same on both tacks.

 

[Panope]

How about an offset wheel that is mounted BEHIND the helmsman?

When seated on the Starboard bench, steering inputs feel natural with the left hand on the SIDE of the wheel.

But, when seated on the Port bench, the left hand grabs the wheel at the BOTTOM spoke, thus reversing the action, not unlike a normal tiller (move hand Starboard, boat goes to Port).

As goofy as all that is, the brain quickly figures it out, and it becomes a non-issue.

 

[Misbehavin']

The helms on Cactus Island are basically whipstaff tillers that steer the same as a wheel. This cancels out any confusion that you might have with a vertical tiller.
Handy place to fit my Raymarine 2000 tillerpilot also. View attachment 580172

She doesn't look to be that happy steering the boat.

 

[Panoramix]

As I recall, push forward to head up, pull back to fall off? Same on both tacks.

That is just the normal thing on a tiller boat, the other way round would boggle my mind!

But, when seated on the Port bench, the left hand grabs the wheel at the BOTTOM spoke, thus reversing the action, not unlike a normal tiller (move hand Starboard, boat goes to Port).

I only started to have the opportunity to use wheel boats well in my thirties whereas I learnt how to use a tiller as a young boy, as a consequence in harbours I tend to grab the lower spoke, i still find unintuitive not to know by feel where the rudder is a pointed at sailing backward !

 

[accnick]

She doesn't look to be that happy steering the boat.

That's because she only got part of a steering wheel.

 

[he b gb]

^^Ha ha. I was thinking of going with tillers on my cat but didn’t want to clutter up the cockpit so went with tillers on the bulkhead. Works great and only a quarter of a turn lock to lock.

 

[Panope]

.......i still find unintuitive not to know by feel where the rudder is a pointed at sailing backward !

Not ideal, but this is the best solution that I could think of:

 

[Misbehavin']

^^Ha ha. I was thinking of going with tillers on my cat but didn’t want to clutter up the cockpit so went with tillers on the bulkhead. Works great and only a quarter of a turn lock to lock.

Nonetheless, Cactus Island looks like a really nice cat.