I sailed on a 46 Bavaria a couple of years ago. It had twin helms, with wheels somewhere between 48 and 60 inch diameter - and still had room for the crew to walk between then to get to the swim platform and the transom shower. Visibility is improved, as well as traffic flow in the cockpit.
As far as maintenance, I suppose you should re-tension and lube the cables every year, so there is twice the maintenance. But the Edson steering on my 38 lasted for about 34 years before I replaced any cables or idlers, so I don't suppose the extra maintenance is intolerable. As far as steering effort goes, the big wheels on the Bavaria and regular lubrication kept the helm pretty light. I've sailed a friends Pearson 30 with an 18 or 24 inch wheel that required more effort than the much bigger Bavaria. The Bavaria also had an instrument pod mounted forward of the wheels and on the centerline. Engine controls, VHF, windlass control, etc were on the back of the pod, and the top of the pod was designed to swing from side to side so the instruments like radar, sounder, speed log, and wind were facing toward the wheel you were using. You manually moved instrument pod when you switched the wheels. It was a well done arrangement and contributed to a huge cockpit. I suppose if I had the money to buy a big Oyster, a Swan 65, or even a 46 Bavaria, I'd opt for the twin wheels. But I don't see myself buying anything much larger than my 38 because I enjoy sailing single- handed or with short crew. So I don't need the extra hassles of crew, cost, and upkeep that a big Oyster would mean. OTOH, IMHO the Swan 65 may just be the prettiest girl in the ocean, not just the harbor, and that might make the hassle more palatable. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Richard Walter Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 10:20 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Stus-List two helms? Greetings, Our new-boat quest has shown us that many new boats come with two helms....even in a 40-footer (ie Tartan 4000). Maybe we are just old-fashioned, but we don't think we want two helms. I imagine twice as much maintenance, twice as many instruments to purchase, and twice as much to go wrong. I know the design allows the boats to carry more beam aft and visibility increases. Has anyone sailed a twin-helm boat? What were your impressions? Do we want one? Is this the future of boat design? Thank you, Richard s/v INDIGO 1978 36-foot Watch Hill
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