What's your preference and why?

Wheel for me, at least for my boat (34 ft Catalina). Well suited to both Autopilot and Wind vane steering.
Easy and quick to lock the wheel. Suits my main sailing mode - singlehanded.
regards
allan

Tiller. Easiest to use with a windvane. By having 3 different points on the tiller for the control lines the lever ratio is adjustable for different wind strengths and response times. Each side has it's own camcleat so simple allowances can be made to adjust for weather helm. Probably possible with wheel steering but I have no idea how!

I think tillers better for getting best performance if the boats not to big. You can feel weather helm much better and turn quicker. But some beginners get confused with the reversed way of steering - ie the tiller doesnt point where they want to go how they would expect.

If your sailing with the family or take friends out sailing, tillers can be cumbersome in a small cockpit. They sweep across the cockpit pinning folks to the seats, jamming limbs and inexperienced crew always seem to be in the way of it. Wheels provide a tidy alternative and can also be positioned anywhere in the cockpit to make the best use of the space available.

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Datawiz said..
Wheel for me, at least for my boat (34 ft Catalina). Well suited to both Autopilot and Wind vane steering.
Easy and quick to lock the wheel. Suits my main sailing mode - singlehanded.
regards
allan

Totally agree, plus you have something to hang onto and something to mount your auto pilot control head and your chart plotter and your compass, and also your cockpit table. And the engine controls are at your fingertips.
I really don't care about wind steering when coastal cruising, too apt to take you where you don't want to go with a wind change unless you are monitoring things all the time and if you are doing that you may as well just tweak the auto pilot from time to time. If you are hard on the wind the pilot tends to let the boat round up a little with increased wind strength and bear away when it dies so you go up wind quite efficiently any way.

Tiller upwind (better view of the telltales, waves and gusts).
Wheel downwind (better view of the waves and rig at the angle you're doing; more power for hard running).
Wheel when coming into marinas or start lines.
Tiller because you look (or feel) less pompous.
Wheel if you like polishing stainless.
Tiller if you like varnishing wood.
Wheel for autopilot.

I sailed a boat that both and would use them in different situations. In many ways I really like a tiller, but it's a lot of work in a boat like a 36'er and it can really impact on cockpit space.

My s and s 34 was designed for a tiller, getting behind the wheel meant standing on the cockpit seat so I replaced my wheel with a tiller.
I was happy with it overall but really noticed the lack of space in the cockpit with a crew on the boat but found it handy single handed.
So I guess the answer is it depends

I have a transom hung rudder so tiller is mandatory really.

It would be possible to go to wheel steering but it would be complicated and mechanical parts would be exposed to weather.

My general preference is for tiller though for better feel of what the boat is doing and for simplicity. They do take up cockpit space though if you have guests.

Definitely tiller. I grew up sailing dinghys and skiffs so it's second nature now.
Whenever I've sailed larger boats with wheels it takes a lot of getting used to ( keep going the wrong way)
I've also sailed larger boats with tillers and it still feels better and more responsive.

I like the position of the wheel like in this Pearson 36. Heaps of room behind it to work in the cockpit and room for crew/guests .

Wheel gives you sore legs.
Tiller gives you a sore neck.
I like how the tiller option brings your position forward into the cockpit, and yet I like the better real estate and seating position for the wheel.
Can't beat a tiller for feel though.

So, tiller for feel/performance
Wheel for comfort/endurance

Sort of.

What do you feel length boat is to long for tiller?

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D3 said..
So, tiller for feel/performance
Wheel for comfort/endurance

Sort of.

What do you feel length boat is to long for tiller?

Everyone has a personal preference. Like in Jolene's picture I would hate the wheel in that position would turn me off a boat but he likes it different things appeal to different people.

As everyone is saying tiller for feel.

If you are racing tiller cruising then a
wheel especially if you have inexperienced crew having a steer.
My wife hated the tiller on my Tasman her one request when purchasing a new boat was it have a wheel. She is much more comfortable with the wheel and it makes her happier to get involved.
Personally I think 31-38 ft is the change over point. Below 31 tiller over 38 you really need the mechanical advantage of a wheel.
You need to work out what suits you, your requirements, the space, type of sailing and your crew.

The Peterson 42 I had years ago was tiller steered and it was easy as. It is a very good design though and that is what made the tiller light.

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hoop said..
Definitely tiller. I grew up sailing dinghys and skiffs so it's second nature now.
Whenever I've sailed larger boats with wheels it takes a lot of getting used to ( keep going the wrong way)
I've also sailed larger boats with tillers and it still feels better and more responsive.

You do get used to it; I grew up in dinghies and you end up switching from one to the other without even noticing.

As far as the change-over point goes, I'd put it 35-42 ft which is a huge range, because it depends on so many factors. At heart I'm a tiller man but for a 35'+ cruiser/racer the wheel is hard to beat. I've checked out switching to a tiller and it really shows how much space is required to get the leverage to control a bigger rudder.

That applies only to big and well-sited wheels; the tiny old-style ones they used to squeeze onto '70s 30 footers seem terrible to me. I think we've got a 42 inch wheel and I'm thinking of keeping a lookout for a bigger one to get further outboard.

Tiller if you have no (or failed) self-steering: wedge it between your legs and you have both hands free for sail control, and are more likely to be within reach of winches and jammers. A tiller also puts you closer to shelter from the dodger. Simple, little or no chance of failure.

I like a wheel, it just gives me more of a feel of being in charge than a tiller does.

Tiller - mostly in the weather
Wheel - can be out of the weather

Being an "old Salt" doesn't mean you need to be encrusted in salt.

Tiller for me. One thing I like to do when moored is to fold it up and lash it to the backstay (stops the rudder moving to and fro) and then the whole cockpit is free, magic when you are entertaining visitors

I feel you can have a variety of seating positions with a wheel, and definitely have a mechanical advantage on a larger boat.

On a smaller boat, I'd definitely go with a tiller. Everything happens faster, the feel and response time with a tiller are much better.

I'm still trying to figure out how big I'd go with a tiller. Cisco mentioned a 40, how long was the tiller? Do you need to move across the boat with big tiller movements?

tiller for simplicity and feel less to go wrong more room in cockpit on anchor as tiller is folded up
wheel when the boat gets to big or to heavy to steer with a tiller some boats just don't work with a tiller

i prefer the wheel it gives more room

This guy seems to like the tiller :)

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D3 said..
I feel you can have a variety of seating positions with a wheel, and definitely have a mechanical advantage on a larger boat.

On a smaller boat, I'd definitely go with a tiller. Everything happens faster, the feel and response time with a tiller are much better.

I'm still trying to figure out how big I'd go with a tiller. Cisco mentioned a 40, how long was the tiller? Do you need to move across the boat with big tiller movements?

D3,
As Boty mentioned, it comes down to the boat, ie: does it have the geometry , in the cockpit as well as below the waterline. Regards size, below are a 40'tr and a 60' that seem to be quite happy with tillers.
In the following pic, this is the standard tiller, and it's really light. The tiller extension is so you can sit comfortably, no mechanical advantage.

Same boat, you can see it hinged upwards. Show they don't have to be cockpit sweepers.........

......And the 60'er......I think this is actually DonK....or FtR, or SA....looks like a dodgy seabreezer at least.

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D3 said..
Cisco mentioned a 40, how long was the tiller? Do you need to move across the boat with big tiller movements?

It was only about 1200 mm if that. Easy to steer from windward or leeward side. Length of tiller and effort required is dependant on the balance of the boat.

If you have a 23 ft long hull with a 40 ft mast, 8 ft bow sprit and the boom goes 6 ft past the transom like a New Zealand mullet boat, you are going to need 3 burly men on the tiller.

Thanks Cisco, never seen these before :)

Love the way they offset the enormous bowsprit with an equally enormous mainsail foot!

How about one of these for a bit of both

Regards Don

Mmm...nice traveller

Another photo of the same arrangement

Regards Don

95% I use push button steering. I'm actually looking for a smaller wheel just to use when mooring and anchoring and usin my large wheel only when passage making.