Lots of pics from yesterday and last night

More video later from my phone.

Here are some pics of the adventure

What are your thoughts on helm steering over rudder?



That is the part I am the most excited about in my yacht switching, as I dislike a large baseball bat esk object constantly vying for the same space I am trying to occupy.



I purchased all the materials to switch my Mac 25 over to a steering wheel helm. May use that to place a second helm location in Sugar Bee.



Very interested in your first impressions of wheel steering while sailing.

Personal preference and more important, whichever is suited for the boat.
Aside from my 14 other bass boats, pontoon boats, runabouts, and fishing boats, I have only owned tiller--for my sailboats--until now.

Hands down wheel for me. I can stand, I can stand and see. I can sit. I'm in the middle. It is easier for me to dock. Last night I practiced something I had just read...turned easily to starboard on approach to our slip, just at dusk. Pointed the nose right at the port side dock finger, then wheeled her over, straightened her out. Her port bow side came to the port dock finger, my wife jumped off to tie off the port. As she did that I put it in reverse, throttled up and threw the wheel to port, pushing my stern to port, where, throttled down and back in neutral I quickly hopped off and secured the stern port side to the dock. Like I actually knew what I was doing. 2 ladies watched the entire approach. I looked like a veteran sailor. :-)

Now, I also have an Edson pedestal so my throttle lever and my gear shift is on the left, I am able to look forward and handle everything at my hands looking forward.

And, when single handed last weekend, I had to lock the wheel and step around the wheel to get to my mainsheet on the drum and my jibsheets when tacking.

I also had the same positive experience in Puget Sound last may on the J105 I chartered...big wheel, great control and visibility.

So, for me, wheel's the way!

I asked my wife and, while she clearly loved sailing yesterday with the wheel, she understands its often a personal preference.

I'm glad to have learned on both.

Excellent pics and videos. You look like your having a great time.

Had to be cool to sleep over. I see you had the coffee pot at hand. Did you anchor somewhere for the night?

Good observation on the coffee pot, Ev. I'll now call you Eagle Eye Ev! :-)

Nope, baby steps with the wife. She'd never, ever stayed aboard a boat overnight before...on any of them! So, now that we have a pretty decent boat, she finally agreed to stay overnight AT THE MARINA...where we can be tied up on all sides to the dock. It'll be a while before I can get her to agree to a lake cove stay where it's much quieter, darker, and if you're new to that, perhaps scarier. I love sleeping in a cove. Baby steps.
We awoke yeaterday morning at 5:20 to the coffee pot brewing Dunkin' Donuts' Cinnamon Spice...mmm...mmm!
Sat out in the cockpit with our cups on the cockpit dining table (attached to the wheel pedestal...shameless plug to Gary for a wheel) where a light cool breeze blew across the marina. It was quite a nice stay for her first time aboard overnight. The marina restraunt bar had a jammin' band Saturday night...very nice time after a great afternoon of sailing, too!
I'll stay overnight on her again Friday night so I can spend that night and early Sat. a.m. crwaling all over and under the boat to see what she has, does not have, what she needs, and to start any minor repairs.

Here is my wife at the wheel on this past Sat. afternoon. I know she "said" for Gary's sake that either a tiller or a wheel is OK, but she wanted a wheel...it steers the direction she wants it to go. she was able to keep the boat pointed into the wind when I was raising and lowering sails...something she could never do with the tiller.

Your boat has mine beat in that I do not have the pedestal guard. Yet. But I will. I tend to lean on the compass and that is a bad idea. The pedestal guard will stop that.