Horizon Cat Helm

[dlane83]

Hello Horizon Cat Owners,

I was wondering if it is possible to get a Horizon Cat with a tiller in lieu of the wheel.  The wheel seems to be in the way on a boat this size.

Thanks,  DL

[Billy]

Hello Horizon Cat Owners,

I was wondering if it is possible to get a Horizon Cat with a tiller in lieu of the wheel.  The wheel seems to be in the way on a boat this size.

Thanks,  DL

I'm sure if you were getting a new one, they would build it however you want.

[CaptRon28]

The wheel seems to be in the way on a boat this size.

Actually, it's the opposite. You need more room in the cockpit to swing the tiller around, and passengers / crew usually get in the way. There are some advantages to tillers, but this is not one of them.

[Joseph]

IdaSailor advertises a foil rudder assembly for the Horizon with a tiller included ("Com-Pac Horizon Cat Unifoil Kick Up Rudder Assembly"):
http://www.idasailor.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=883&osCsid=b51ce26486f17cf5ee06112ac2ae15df

No idea whether it is intended to replace the wheel or as a "spare tiller", but it also looks conspicuously similar to the "Com-Pac SunCat High Performance Kick Up Rudder Assembly". Could it be exactly the same stuff? It would appear that both cats are different enough (i.e., 1000 lbs of displacement apart) as to require different rudder designs. Or maybe not...?

J.

[shamblin]

i felt the same way at first about my horizon cat, wanting a tiller at first ( after all the hc is still a pretty small boat ) but the wheel is growing on me.   for one thing i can depend on the rudder staying in the same position for a while so i can go forward etc.   bill

[CaptRon28]

I've had several of each - tiller vs wheel. They both work well, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. But the one really annoying thing about a tiller in a boat with a smallish cockpit is that passengers or crew tend to get in the way when you have to quickly turn the boat. The Horizon wheel does not. On the other hand, the tiller is easier to use, more reliable, and will give you better reaction time as long as you have the room to swing it.

I try to keep the crew/passengers down to maybe two in my Telstar 28 because they WILL get in the way on a quick tack. And I'm using a tiller that's about 1 foot shorter than the standard one. You can do this on a multihull because there is almost no weather helm.

The Horizon wheel also looks good on a cat boat. The extended spokes are from a period that probably ended a hundred years ago. But the new ones come with a small stainless wheel. I saw one at the show and talked it over with Rick. They did it because of some complaints about having to cover the wheel when the boat is not being used or suffer the weathering problems on the wood. Hey - It takes maybe 30 seconds to cover it !!!

[Bob23]

Ron:
  I agree that a wood wheel mounted as it is in the Horizons, is almost an essential element of a catboat. I'd convert my 23 to one if I weren't so in love with the tiller and it's simplicity.
  30 seconds spent to cover the wood wheel is a small price to pay for a traditional look.
Hmm... what does the steering gear in the Horizon look like? I wonder how complicated a conversion that would be in a 23? Anyone have any photos of the guts of the steering gear?
Bob23

[CaptRon28]

Out of curosity and interesed in fitting an autopilot, I removed some panels and took a good look at it about 2 years ago when I bought the boat. As I recall, there's a short tiller arm (or quadrant?) fitted to the rudder assembly, the wheel turns a gearbox that could be a rack and pinion setup, and levers (or short cables?) are used to move the small tiller. I was thinking of using a linear actuator to control the short arm but there didn't seem to be enough room to use the longer/larger actuators that are currently available. Something smaller would fit. Sorry I didn't take any photos, but I could do that when we get back to NJ in a few months. I'm still interested in doing something about an autopilot.

My only minor complaint about the Horizon's wheel steering is that you sometimes sit nearly in front of the wheel and you've got to remember which direction to turn the aft facing wheel (it's mounted on the transom coaming). I'm used to standing or sitting behind wheels, not reaching back to steer from the front or side. Anyone mounting a hub based electrical autopilot has got to reverse the wiring as well - otherwise the motor will attempt to go the wrong way. I would have done this but the available system moves the wheel about 6 to 8 inches forward. Motor attaches to hub, wheel attaches to front of motor.

[Rahn]

I wrote to idasailor and asked about their rudder system for the Horizon Cat and haven't heard from them yet. I had one of their rudders for my Sun Cat and loved it. At one point, they offered a system for the Sun Cat with the tiller over the coming instead of through the horn. I wonder if that is what is offered for the Horizon Cat. I don't care for the wheel much though I have gotten used to it.

Ron, let me know if you install an autohelm on your Horizon Cat. I'm not sure I want to spend $1600 on a Raymarine Sportpilot now but might want one in the future.

Here's a picture of the idasailor on my Sun Cat:

[CaptRon28]

Ron, let me know if you install an autohelm on your Horizon Cat. I'm not sure I want to spend $1600 on a Raymarine Sportpilot now but might want one in

I'll look again when we get back to NJ. Two years ago, the problem was that no one made a linear actuator (the piston like tube that moves the quadrant or tiller arm) that would fit inside the area between the transom and wheel housing. They are usually made for much larger boats and are built accordingly. Something that can handle 30,000+ pounds of boat is extreme overkill for the small Horizon. Mid sized sailboats usually wind up with a wheel mounted unit which will not fit the Horizon's small wheel. My main problem with the Sportpilot is that it moves the wheel assemby forward about 6 to 8 inches. The price is a 2nd drawback.

[skip1930]

Take a look at how the French made the tiller on the ETAP's.
I looked but don't quite understand the inner workings of this device.
It's pretty cool though.

skip.

[Lstrayhorn]

Hello Horizon Cat Owners,

I was wondering if it is possible to get a Horizon Cat with a tiller in lieu of the wheel.  The wheel seems to be in the way on a boat this size.

Thanks,  DL

I spoke to Gerry a few minutes ago and he sent me pictures of the new Horizon daysailer and in the picture it has a tiller. I can forward the pictures if you like to take a look.

[Craig]

Derek from St Maartin recently posted pix of his new HC which he had built with a tiller. I have gotten used to the wheel on Kailani and all things considered I prefer it to a tiller for the reasons mentioned in previous posts. The HC is the first boat with wheel steering in my 40 + years of sailing. It DID take a LOT of getting used to! Actually I like the stainless wheel better than the wooden one(traditional looks aside). The spokes on a traditional wheel can be snag prone, especially in the HC because of sheeting configuration. I added a "spinner knob" for convenience and to mark the rudder amidships position. When I first got the boat not having the visual cue of the rudder position of the tiller was problematic in close quarters maneuvering. Not a problem anymore.

[Aldebaran_III]

As with so many things it's really down to personal preference. I grew up sailing small boats, always tiller steered. I cruised full time for 14 years on a bigger wheel steered boat. Both felt just right in the circumstances.
For my HC I really like the tiller. It just suits our local conditions. Very gusty winds with frequent shifts in direction. I find the feel and quick response makes it easy to keep in the groove to windward and luff quickly when necessary. The cockpit space isn't really an issue on the HC, and moored or anchored you just pull one pin and the tiller is gone completely. It also means it's always stowed below protecting the finish.
I've never sailed an HC with wheel, but I guess a lot depends on the number of turns to get from lock to lock.
You pays your money and takes your choice.

Cheers,
Derek

[capt_nemo]

Speaking of tiller vs. wheel steering.

Just for the heck of it, and the challenge, I'm in the process of designing, fabricating, and installing a simple low cost "Bolt-on" wheel steering system for my Sun Cat.

Proof of design concept has been completed and the homemade wooden wheel (with spokes) is nearing completion. Next, a trial wooden steering shaft box will be "fitted" to the aft end of the cockpit for final system assembly, tweaking, and sea trials. It will take some time, with trial and error and all the hand work, but I'm not in a hurry and I love the process!

The CHALLENGE I speak of stems from my self-imposed design criterion that, like all my mods, NOT A SINGLE HOLE IS DRILLED IN THE BOAT, AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOAT IS NOT ALTERED IN ANY PERMANENT WAY. The key to success is imaginative use of what is already there on the boat in both the design concept and in securing the module in place. So far, all of my storage mods have met the criterion and proved quite successful.

Stay tuned for future updates.

capt_nemo