John Cairns wrote:
Trying to remember the model of boat, but the emergency tiller was steered
from the aft cabin!!!!

The O'Day 37 and Whitby 42 are like that... probably true of many
aft-cabin boats.

Emergency steering is a sore point on many boats. The emergency tiller
is difficult to connect, the connection is not as strong as it should be
(especially considering that it will most likely be used under strenuous
conditions), the tiller too short without enough mechanical advantage
(ditto parenthetical note above), and obstructions in the cockpit
prevent the emergency tiller from being swung thru a proper arc for
steering. For most boats, the emergency steering is a poor afterthought.

Serious racers are somewhat better in that regard, it's a requirement
for ORC Cat 1 & 2... wouldn't it be cool to require one race out of a
major series be held with all boats using emergency steering? It'd be an
eye-opener I bet.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King