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View Full Version : Who hates tiller steer? And why?



Jackinthebox
30-09-2007, 03:57 PM
Well, after months of stuffing around and plenty of headaches, I've finally built my own boat through work just the way I want it (keeping cost in mind)
Thanks to Kev & Blaze & a few others for helping me decide to build my own boat that I could afford and not going into a share arrangement on a bigger one. This one's all mine :-)

I'm selling the 385 explorer to a mate(who is getting a red hot deal) and upgrading to a 4.69 seahorse/nomad half caste mongrel with a quinnie splash well & grey carpet, etc. Bolted on the back is a 50hp 4 stroke Mercury tiller steer which is my preferred option anyway as I feel you get the maximum boat for your money without shelling out heaps of extra $$$ for a console and wheel, steering, cables, etc, etc.

Plus I like the direct responsive feel you get from tiller steer, especially in tight situations when you have to manouevre quite quickly.

I have mounted the trim/tilt & ignition switches on the port side because that is where I have always sat when driving tiller steer because I am right handed. You can see in the following pictures where it is located. While setting this boat up, I have had many people come up & ask me two common questions......

(1) "Why do you want tiller steer? I don't like tiller steer!"

(2) "Why do you sit on that side of the boat?

The first question I have answered above but the second one really gets me into a disagreement with a lot of people, including dealers who try & tell me why I can't sit on that side of the boat.

I am interested in some other people's views on this subject as it has me buggered why 90% of the population seems to be righthanded but for some reason, everyone has been brainwashed into sitting on the other side of the boat and controlling the engine with their NON-DOMINANT LEFT HAND.
(Lefties and motorbike riders don't need to answer this as I understand why you sit there)

Boat manufacturers (including Quinnie/Stacer as well as others) only put pedestal seat spiggots on the starboard side, so if you drive with your right hand, you've gotta shell out to get another spiggot put on the port side.

But for everyone else, Do you like or dislike tiller steer? Why do you like or dislike it? Are you right or left handed and which hand do you control the tiller with?

Here's some pics of the almost finished boat.

Cheers,
Mick

Chas & Clarry
30-09-2007, 04:09 PM
The only thing I dislike about tiller stear is the loss of vision when getting up to speed (ie nose of boat goes up before droppijg back down once on the plain). AND ESPECIALLY the difficulty with this in rough water/wind.

kind_cir
30-09-2007, 04:18 PM
No one told me to sit on the right and steer with the left. This is just how I feel more comortable. I am right handed and hold a fork with the right hand and knife with the left but this is not the norm.
If it's comfortable do it and tell others to get stuffed.

shappy
30-09-2007, 04:20 PM
hey jackinthebox,

i know what you mean about not wanting to share a boat, as i mentioned in my other thread about having to sell the hornet. i am left handed and sit to the starboard. i didn't know your not supposed to sit to that side, if your right handed it would be the right thing to do giving best control of the boat.
i have had similar debates with fishing, if you hold the rod in the left hand and reel with the right, you are a left handed fisherman;)

cheers, shappy

krazyfisher
30-09-2007, 04:36 PM
I sit on the starboard side that way it is easier to pull start with your right hand and you can hold on with you strongest hand and when trolling I would rather hold a rod in my right hand.

Timmy94
30-09-2007, 04:38 PM
I sit on the Right and drive with my left hand. I dont mind tiller steer and the only thing i dont like about the 4.5-5 metre range is the transom cut out. But thats needed so cant be helped. I will always drive with my left hand and keep my right hand side holding the gunwale. My brother sits in the middle and has his right hand behing him idk why he drives this way i think hes a d**k head but he feels comfortable so idc.

bigdonk
30-09-2007, 04:43 PM
i rate the tiller steer ..iv ownd 2 boats with 50 HP Yammeys both very easy to steer and user friendly.... you got to look at the layout of the tiller it self, some outboards have the gear leaver on the side of the engine and also the tilt/ trim. Im very happy with my tiller steer outboard because it has evrything on the tiller arm it self....
the other thing i like about the tiller steer it you get to use the max room available in your boat...... i currently have a 4.5m open boat , and im going to upgrade to a 5m boat with a 90HP tiller steer....(should be fun!) ...... oh very easy to maintain...

cheers BD

Timmy94
30-09-2007, 04:47 PM
SHIT!!!! Can you get a 90hp Tiller Steer? What 5metre Boat BTW?

bigdonk
30-09-2007, 04:57 PM
yea it costs $500 to get it converted... any outbord to 100HP the dealer told me
5M brooker plate alloy boat...;D

FNQCairns
30-09-2007, 05:21 PM
the left handed thing stems from the need to pullstart wit the right hand which is the easiest hand to do it for the majority. I learnt as a kid to steer with my left hand so couldn't even consider changing today, right hand is the strong one to hold the gunnel also, can flick baitcaster with the right hand, still have trouble winding it in one handed:)

cheers fnq

Poodroo
30-09-2007, 05:57 PM
I personally have no issues with any type of steering. All I know is that I am blessed to be able to get out on the water and enjoy my hobby. I don't care how it steers so long as it gets me out there reliably and back home again. I do have a tiller and it gets me out there and I am very used to it.

Poodroo

Brumby
30-09-2007, 05:58 PM
I think the sitting on the right thing has to do with the prop torque on a standard motor tending to roll the boat to the left, your weight counteracts this. Same thing with most forward control boats.

artesian
30-09-2007, 08:26 PM
the only drawback I can see to tiller steers is that the spray that would either miss the crew of a centre con. altogether, or only hit their legs, has a better go at the skipper on a tiller steer.

NAGG
30-09-2007, 08:46 PM
I'm no fan of Tiller steering .... My few attempts found me a couple of times with touchy throttles ( nearly killed the crew ..... throwing them back) ..... Vision is poor when getting on the plane! .... Also running into any sought of sea in windy conditions .. Is no fun. :( (Yes a lot to do with experience) ..
Also I'm left handed:-X ..... Nagg
PS ..... The manoeuverability of a tiller is the big plus

Dan5
30-09-2007, 08:49 PM
I went back to tiller steer on my new boat after having the last 3 with a wheel.The new one's only a 4.5 so the extra room is a bonus and the tiller layout on the new yammie's is great with the trim/tilt button right at your thumb where it should be.Having a consol to hang onto while you stand up is handy though when it's a bit rough and you do get a bit more wet with a tiller but it they are more manouverable in tight places.There are good and bad points for both it just depends on the type of fishing you plan to do with the boat.Dan...........

Timmy94
30-09-2007, 09:45 PM
If your Bow is raising too high put your fuel tanks up the front and run a fuel line down the back. We have no problems anymore. Btw Big Donk i thought the 5 metre brooker was pressed alloy and rated to take 60 or 75hp?

ozbee
01-10-2007, 05:07 PM
tiller is great until you own steer.full stop

bigdonk
01-10-2007, 05:25 PM
If your Bow is raising too high put your fuel tanks up the front and run a fuel line down the back. We have no problems anymore. Btw Big Donk i thought the 5 metre brooker was pressed alloy and rated to take 60 or 75hp?


yes Timmy your quite right::) brooker bring out a center console rated to a 90HP.... take out the console, do some mods and i got the boat that i desire for my fishing needs.... later if i like put the console back on its no problem....

cheers BD

zaraspook
01-10-2007, 05:54 PM
i love tiller steer, i feel it gives me alot more room to fish but the missus doesnt like it very much

bugman
01-10-2007, 08:48 PM
I'm going back to tiller steer in my fifth boat.

I guess it's horses for courses. I wont be travelling long distance, I need the room and need the manouverability.

I need a good solid platform with heaps of room to put diving gear and cray pots. It would be hard to fit 4 cray pots in a half cab with people aboard as well.

Not sure how I'll see over the front with four cray pots on board but someone will tell me where I'm going;)

Actually a lot of the tinnies down here in tassie get around the visibility issues with waist high bow rails in the back steering corner. It allows the driver to stand. They put padding around the rails.

I'll see if I can get photos next time I'm over West.

Brett

arvor
02-10-2007, 07:22 PM
hi all well im lucky enough to have both and i am on the tiller 80percent of the time.and only get on wheel when over 12 knots.travelling to offshore grounds.but most of the time im at the tiller and rear controls.

aussiebasser
02-10-2007, 09:22 PM
Sitting on the port side, how do you do a tight starboard turn at speed? That will put the tiller way behind you or into your ribs. Also to accelerate you have to twist the throttle away from you rather than toward you. I'd hate to try to ride a motorbike with a throttle set up like that. Obviously these are just my opinions, and about 98% of the tiller boating fraternity. Tiller is great for trolling. I've now got wheel steering and it can be a pain on the troll.