Why Do Sailboats Have Two Steering Wheels? A Skipper Explains

Step onto almost any new sailing yacht over 40 feet and you'll see it: two steering wheels, one on each side of the cockpit. First-time guests always ask the same thing. Do you need two captains? No. One person steers. The second wheel is there for very practical reasons, and one of them has nothing to do with steering at all.

It's not for two captains

Both wheels are mechanically linked. Turn one, and the other turns with it. Only one person steers at a time. The question is simply which side of the boat that person stands on.

Reason 1: You can see what you're about to hit

The moment that matters most on any charter is not the open sea. It's the last ten metres before the dock. A good skipper needs to see the fenders, the gap to the boat next door and the edge of the pontoon.

With a single wheel in the middle, you're looking past the coachroof, the bimini and your guests. With twin wheels, you move to the side that's closest to the dock and see it directly. For stern-to mooring in a busy Mediterranean marina, that view is the difference between a clean parking job and an expensive scratch.

The same logic works under sail. When the boat heels, the helmsman can sit on the high side. From there you see the sails, the telltales and the water ahead. Racing crews worked this out first, which is where twin wheels actually come from.

Reason 2: The back of the boat got wider

This is the reason most people miss. Over the last few decades, yacht designers moved more of the hull's width to the stern. Wide sterns mean more space in the cockpit, bigger aft cabins and more stability.

But a wide stern creates a problem. To reach both sides from one central wheel, that wheel has to be huge, and it sits right in the middle of the walkway. Split it into two smaller wheels on the sides, and the centre of the cockpit opens up. That's what makes the modern layout possible: a walk-through cockpit, a fold-down transom and a swim platform you can step onto with a drink in your hand.

On many wide-stern yachts, the designers also fit two rudders instead of one. When the boat heels, the windward rudder lifts out of the water, but the leeward one stays deep and keeps grip.

Reason 3: Steering geometry, with a trade-off

Putting the wheels further aft and outboard brings them closer to the rudder area. That can keep cable runs short and direct. The honest trade-off: the two wheels must be connected to each other, so a twin-helm system has a cross-link that a single wheel does not need. Modern systems handle this well, but it's one more thing to check and adjust.

The wheel that was taller than the skipper

Before twin wheels became common, big sailing yachts often had one enormous wheel. On large classic racers, the wheel could be taller than the person steering it. A big wheel gives leverage on a heavy rudder and lets the helmsman stand far enough out to see past the sails.

Twin wheels started on racing boats in the 1980s. One of the first production yachts with them was the Beneteau First 51, designed by Germán Frers in 1987. From racing, the idea moved into cruising boats. Today, when builders offer both options, the large majority of owners pick two wheels.

Why most cruising catamarans still have one helm

Here's the twist. Most cruising catamarans, including the Lagoons I skipper every season, have a single helm station.

A catamaran doesn't heel, so there's no high side to sit on. The helm is usually raised, either at the bulkhead or up on a flybridge, which gives a view over the whole boat. From there you see both hulls and both sterns. In the marina you steer a cat mostly with the two engines anyway.

Performance catamarans are different. They sail fast and the helmsman needs to feel the boat and see the sails, so they often put a helm on each hull.

The downsides of twin wheels

Twin helms are not perfect:

• Two wheels, two pedestals and a link between them mean more parts to maintain.
• Instruments and controls are often duplicated or placed on one side only, so one helm may be better equipped.
• On boats under about 35 feet, two wheels can make the cockpit feel crowded.

What to check on a twin-helm boat

If you charter or buy a twin-helm yacht, check these before leaving the dock:

1. Turn one wheel and watch the other. Any delay or play means the link needs adjusting.
2. Check the wheel brakes on both sides.
3. Lock to lock: count the turns and make sure the rudder angle indicator matches.
4. Look at the small plastic parts around the helm: instrument covers, cable guides, knobs. Sun and salt crack them first.

Cracked or missing part around the helm? AXLY makes marine-grade replacements, from a single piece.

Captain's note

Two wheels don't make a better sailor. But they let a good skipper see more, and on a boat, what you can see is what you can control.

See you on the water,
Captain Phil