[PCW] emergency tiller

[Dennis Raedeke]

I do not have an emergency tiller on Wild Wind IV.  The USCG does not require
a jury tiller on passenger vessels as long as there are two engines. If the
steering would fail on a long trip it would keep you busy keeping the boat
straight on the engines alone, but you would get to your destination. I steer
with the engines alone in tight spaces for docking anyway. If you put a jury
tiller on one side, and if the connection between the rudders is not other
than hydraulic you would only steer one rudder. This would not be a problem as
I proved on my last trip when I aligned the rudders and forgot to change the
bypass valve back. If you had a steering failure and also lost an engine then
it may be a problem. The rudder connection then could be critical depending on
which side you put the tiller.

If a jury tiller was fitted the rudder angle would not need to be large. As
you can tell I have run these things through my mind and decided go without a
jury tiller.
I think it is a personal choice and how you feel about your own ability to fix
things under way.

Good luck Jean-Pierre,

Dennis