Nick,
I've never heard of a C36 with tiller steering, but it could exist. Early C30's came with tillers (and the mainsheet traveler across the aft end of the cockpit). I know of one C42 owner who converted to a custom SS tiller, but he was in the SS business. I think it was written up in Mainsheet a number of years ago.

Although the idea seems odd to me, I think there's nothing technically stopping you from converting your boat to a tiller. The rudder post is easily accessible. 'Simply' remove the steering pedestal and install the tiller; your boat, your choice. My guess is that it will adversely - and probably dramatically - affect the resale value once you're through using the boat.

My suggestion to you: Go for it!

Let us know how the project turns out.

Nick,
All of the C36 Tech Notes from Mainsheet (going back to 1984) are on the Tech Notes CD. You can get that FREE by joining C36/375IA with a three year membership. The C42 section won't be on it, though. You might want to check out the C42 website.

I have one of the oldest boats and do a lot of racing. I have thought about a tiller quite a bit, I think the cockpit would work well with it.

However when cruising up here in the summer there is rarely any wind and I end up motoring a lot. For that I prefer a wheel.

I looked at a lot of old Catalina 36s when shopping, as I was feeding at the bottom end of the price range, and never saw a single tiller boat, leading me to believe they were all built with wheels.

The boat in the last race video on the email list was an Express 37 with a tiller.

Nick
There is a Catalina 36 custom cutter that has tiller steering on yacht world

[url]www.yachtworld.com/boats/1989/Catalina-Custom-Cutter-2268310/Ft.-Lauderd...(link is external)

I believe TEY has been circumnavigated

Chris

Circumnavigated what? Long Island? To my knowledge S/V Patriot is the only C36 to have circumnavigated the globe.

LC

Yacht world site says "this vessel set sail for an around the world voyage starting in California in 1998 and ending up in Florida in 2001". I guess not technically a circumnavigation, they didn't close the loop, she was named "White Dove" at the time. There is an article titled "Bluewater Catalina", I think it was in Good Old Boat magazine.

Chris

Saw that boat on Yachtworld 3 years ago when we were looking for our 36, I wouldn't touch it at any price, it is a butt ugly boat with some really questionable changes. I think it says something about how you can devalue a boat a lot by trying to re-purpose it. Thing is, if a person wanted an old school full keel, tiller steered, cutter rigged low aspect ratio blue water boat why not just find one and fix it up? If re-sale value means nothing, go for it, but some changes are going to have a huge negative impact on resale value.

I saw that "strange" C36 on the C25 message board. It was highly modified, with a tiller and the shrouds moved outboard to chainplates on the hull. It could well be that the owner installed the tiller for self steering issues. It's somewhat easier to use a wind vane and its lines with a tiller than a wheel.

CI, you might want to consider living with your new boat for a while before even contemplating these kind of changes. My experience, both personal and in many other message boards and conversations, has been that folks with new-to-them boats have all sorts of good ideas. Some get implemented and don't work out. Many get tossed once experience is gained with their new boats. Many find that the maintenance and modest upgrades of systems takes the time that turns out to be valuable in the enjoyment of their boats because "all the stuff works" rather than dealing with "exotic" ideas.

Your boat, your choice.

No C34 I know of has a tiller either. After having a C22 for a few years and a C25 for 12, I am very pleased with our wheel. I hardly ever spend any time behind it (discussed on this board and ours) and I singlehand a lot.

I'd find the C34 or C36 cabintop too high to see over with a tiller, compared to our C25.

And the claims of "I get a better "feel" with a tiller" are either urban myths or absolute truths, depending on who you talk to. :) I find I can get the "tiller feeling" by using one of the spokes of the wheel. Sure, there's the quadrant and links through the binnacle, but the rudder is still being engaged and I get the "feedback" just like my tiller. I find little, if any, difference. I get the boat in the groove and take my hands off the wheel. Most often the boat sails itself and I don't even use the autopilot.

I'm also sure there are more "tiller vs wheel" discussions already on the internet that this shouldn't be used as an excuse to start another one. :eek::)