Golden Hind replica and ship wheel history.

[Swashbuckler 1700]

- Foxe. Has the Golden Hind replica a wheel and if it does have one (like I have seen in some photos), Why? During 16^th century there were not ship’s wheels (not until c.1700-1715 when they started to be common in larger ships). Is the reason so simple that it is easier to steer ship with wheel and authenticity was less important than functionality?

Btw the ships wheel is often error in movies like Cutthroat Island (which is sets in 1668)...

Source of this information: There is plenty so this is definately truth. Here is one source but there is more...

http://blog.handcraf...the-ship-wheel/

If some did not know that during even in Gaop wheels were rare..... but many probably know this fact...

In any case why GH replica has wheel?

BtW what do you like of my signature quote?

Edited February 10, 2012 by Swashbuckler 1700

[MarkG]

Some captains refuse to sail a ship with just a whipstaff. In the1980s, Jamestown sailed a ship over. It's captain insisted that it have a wheel.

[Fox]

What Mark said...

[Swashbuckler 1700]

So it was all about functionality

But many visitors get wrong picture of how hard sailing really was man needed to steer ship in below deck, in dark and with just a puny whipstaff...

well that is not so serious....

[Coastie04]

There was a paragraph specifically about this in the book "Tall Ships Down" by Daniel S. Parrott, a captain of the Pride of Baltimore II. It is in regard to the sinking of the first Pride of Baltimore in 1986.

The use of a tiller on the Pride of Baltimore occasionally attracted criticism for being unmanageable and difficult to control by a single person. When Pride II was being built, the USCG took the position that a wheel was a necessity if the crew size were to stay at twelve, the same as the first Pride. The ship was fitted out with a wheel though many who sailed the first Pride using the tiller did not find particular fault with it while sailing. Though the Pride did not necessarily track well, this was unrelated to the tiller. Experience with both steering systems suggests that the wheel gives some mechanical advantage over a tiller, but under moderate to heavy conditions a gun tackle was normally rigged to the tiller, which helped compensate for the additional resistance. Smaller people with less leverage seemed to struggle with either system under strong conditions unless the captain made an effort to balance the sail plan. The wheel is primarily handier for close-quarters maneuvering because it saves the helmsman from running back and forth across the aft deck as rudder commands come fast and furious, but this is purely a question of convenience.

Personally, I've sailed boats with both tillers (Lady Washington and more modern sailboats up to 35 feet) and wheel (Adventuress, USCGC Eagle, various modern sailboats including my Fortune 30 cutter, Sanctioned Mistress). The Lady Washington's tiller was never a problem for me (high school and college at the time), and they always had a relieving tackle rigged on it. Occasionally a second helmsman was assigned when rapid helm commands were expected, but that was rare. The only time I found that I consistently used the relieving tackle was when under engine power. The turbulence on the tiller from the prop would wear my arms out after a while if I didn't 'lock' the tiller in position from time to time. For the wheels, it was usually easier, but took longer to go from hard over one way to hard over the other way. In the smaller boats I've sailed, I find a tiller much easier for close quarters maneuvering for just that reason. Going slower requires more rudder than when cruising at faster speeds, especially combined with the close quarters situations experienced when docking. So, in my opinion, it's a tossup for most vessels in the size range of the Golden Hinde, Lady Washington and Adventuress.​ Of course, I have not steered a vessel at sea with a whip-staff, so it might be quite a bit different. I have messed around with some at the dock on a couple of reproductions, and (at least docked without pressure on the helm) they seem relatively easy to use. It probably just comes down to preference of the captain, Coast Guard regulations, and how authentic the builders/owners want to be.

Arrrgh!