[IJC 38]

Thank you Spursnut for your photo of a 'proper ship's wheel' I sailed with this type of wheel on the trawler 'Swanland' (built 1914) on a trip to Iceland and Bear Island in 1951.


The large wheel operated rod and chain steering gear by hand, used when steaming to and from the fishing grounds. The small wheel was connected to a small donkey engine which operated the rod and chain gear when hauling in the trawl and quick rudder movements were required. Smaller wheel also used when leaving and entering the locks when departing and entering St Andrews Dock (Hull). We never had a compass in the wheelhouse we steered by periscope up to the magnetic compass on the monkey Island, one point only ever visible at any time either side of the lubberline, and with the vessel's head swinging up to two points P & S in rough weather made keeping a course very difficult and hard work, especially when having to stand to one side of the wheel (as opposed to behind it) built up the muscles, but alas! they've all gone now! (trawlers and muscles)


Forgot to mention she was coal fired, so steam steering used as little as possible, so all hands mucked in. steering, coal shovelling, ice chopping, gutting, net mending layering of fish was left to experienced hands. Our potato peeler was two small pieces of coal in a gunny sack and towed overside for a few seconds, longer than that all you had left was two pieces of coal