Traditional Wooden Yacht Wheels

A wooden yacht steering wheel is the centerpiece of the cockpit.

South Shore Boatworks has been making wooden steering wheels in New England for generations. Master carpenter, Bob Fuller, has been building wheels for yachts and ships since 1977, apprenticing under his father and grandfather.
South Shore Boatworks is the only builder of traditional wooden ships wheels in the United States, and Bob is sought out around the world for his expertise.

Wheel-building is a balance of function and form. The wheel needs to stand up to rigorous conditions, but also needs to feel right to the captain, and complement the look of the cockpit and helm station. Bob Fuller sees every ship and yacht steering wheel as its own work of art: carefully balanced and built to be tough and beautiful.

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Tools on shop bench that are required to build a wooden ship yacht or boat steering wheel at south shore boatworks

Final fitting of wooden ship yacht wheel by Bob Fuller of South Shore Boatworks on shop bench with chromed bronze hub and teak construction

Finished yacht boat wooden steering wheel on shop bench with varnished finish by south shore boatworks

Measuring wooden boat yacht steering wheel spoke with calipers bob fuller of south shore boatworks and bronze hub in background

Hand drawing of wooden ship yacht wooden steering wheel with details maked for building by south shore boatworks

Bob Fuller standing next to very large wooden yacht steering wheel with bronze engraved hub and glossy varnished finish at the shop for south shore boatworks

Customize Your Own Wooden Wheel

Every traditional ship wheel is unique, specially designed for your boat.

Sizes range from 13″ to 60″. These wooden boat wheels can be made with or without an outer rim.

Most ship steering wheels are crafted from teak or mahogany with accents of ebony and holly. We're glad to explore other options with you.

Steering wheel hubs are solid bronze and can be polished or chrome plated, and can be engraved. Hubs are bored to fit and can match any steering system.

drawing of construction plans for wooden ship yacht steering wheel to be built at south shore boatworks used in planning process of building a wheel

chromed bronze engraved hub on varnished wooden ship yacht wheel built by south shore boatworks

South Shore Boatworks has crafted over 1,000 traditional wooden boat wheels in the last 45 years.

wooden yacht steering wheel helm on sailing yacht glide with varnished finish and bronze hub engraved built by south shore boatworks

Glide
32" diameter mahogany wheel with rim. Built for the late Senator Robert Kennedy's yacht. Now owned by his son, Max Kennedy.

varnished wooden yacht ship steering wheel on sailing yacht catriona helm with engraved bronze hub built by south shore boatworks

Catriona
36" outside diameter wooden yacht wheel for a 57' Herreshoff Bounty design. Teak with holly and ebony accents, and a bronze hub.

varnished wooden ship yacht wheel helm with chromed bronze hub on motor vessel otter built by south shore boatworks

Otter
24" teak ship's wheel designed & built for a 46' ferry that serves Acadia National Park and the community of Isle Au Haut, Maine.

varnished wooden yacht ship steering wheel with bronze hub for sailing yacht royono helm built by south shore boatworks skippered by john f kennedy

Royono
Fitted on a 71' Alden designed Yawl that was built by Herreshoff in 1936. John F. Kennedy skippered Royono when he was President of the United States.

varnished wooden ship yacht wheel for sandpiper 1966 Hinckley Pilot Cutter built by south shore boatworks

Sandpiper
Designed and built for a 1966 Hinckley Pilot Cutter.

varnished wooden teak steering wheels with holly bungs and rim with chromed bronze hub built by south shore boatworks for Edson marine

Edson
South Shore Boatworks is the proud supplier for all Edson Marine wooden ship wheels.

WoodenBoat
Teak 33" wheel designed and built for WoodenBoat Magazine.

Four Bells
A 16" dia. mahogany wheel for a 46' Wesmac sportfisher.

Gurnet Point
36" teak wheel built for the Museum of our National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts.

varnished wood tiara powerboat steering wheel with teak and chromed bronze hub built by southshore boatworks with holly bungs

Tiara
Designed and built for a Tiara Yacht.

varnished wooden wheel for Lark O' the Lake with chromed bronze hub engraved built by south shore boatworks from sapele and holly with spokes and fine details

Lark O' the Lake
An 18" wheel designed and built in 2024, and constructed from Sapele and Holly.

replacement sailboat steering wheel for kenneddy's 50' concordia yacht built in varnished teak with engraved bronze hub by south shore boatworks

Mya
A replacement for the Kennedy's 50' Concordia Schooner.

This is just a sampling of the 1,000+ wheels that South Shore Boatworks has built through the years. We'll continue to post interesting designs to help inspire your next wheel!

varnished wooden powerboat wheel for sherman's cove with chromed bronze hub engraved built by south shore boatworks from teak with rim and spokes

Sherman's Cove
Designed and built for an aluminum landing craft in Alaska that services a resort.

Custom Wheel Hubs

These same skills in creating the wooden aspects of a steering wheel are on display in the hand crafting of marine steering wheel hubs: hubs that tie your wheel, and your cockpit, together.

Every boat steering wheel is designed so that neither wood nor metal overpowers the end result. The steering wheel hub isn’t just the geographic center of the wheel, it also functions to transfer the load on the rim of the wheel to the steering wheel shaft. To achieve a tight fit, we must match the bore of the hole with the shaft. Some are straight, while others are tapered to varying degrees. Length is also a variable, as well as the keyway, and the threading of the nut that will be used to secure the hub to the wheel to the shaft. Each wheel hub will be machined precisely to fit your existing wheel shaft.

Steering wheel hubs can be finished in two different styles: chrome plated or polished. They can also be engraved! Your hub can have any reasonable logo, seal, or graphic that you would like. If you need some help, we're glad to work with you to custom design a graphic for your steering wheel hub.

wooden yacht wheel for sailing ship 1940 mya owned by the kennedy's and built by south shore boatworks with engraved polished bronze hub and teak spokes and rim

steering wheel for 1936 royono sailing yacht with teak wood spokes and engraved polished bronze hub with stars built by south shore boatworks

Our hubs are machined out of bronze, a material with deep roots in the marine industry for its resistance to corrosion and strength.

In keeping with the ship-building traditions of the Fuller family, Bob’s brother, Charles Fuller, is a machinist and pattern-maker with a specialization in machining wheel hubs. The brothers have collaborated since they were children to create an exquisite balance between the metalworking and the woodworking.

bronze wheel hub for 1966 sandpiper sailing yacht with teak wooden spokes and polished wheel nut built by south shore boatworks

chromed bronze wheel hub for sailing yacht or ship with bronze wheel nut engraved with flying monkeys and built by south shore boatworks

chromed bronzesteering wheel hub and wheel nut engraved with emma jean built by south shore boatworks for sailing yacht or ship

We're ready to build your dreams. Let's talk about your design, wood species, hub style, and how to add that custom touch that makes your wheel perfect for your boat.

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The Mya Wheel Project:
A replacement for the Kennedy's 50' Concordia Schooner.

Sailing Yacht Mya's Original traditional Wooden Steering Wheel commissioned to be replaced by South Shore Boatworks

Mya's Original Wheel

Sailing Yacht Concordia Schooner Mya's new traditional wooden steering wheel built by south shore boatworks with a bronze engraved hub

Mya's New Traditional Yacht Wheel

New wooden steering wheel built by south shore boatworks installed on traditional sailing yacht Mya concordia schooner with engraved bronze hub and full rim and spokes

Mya's New Steering Wheel Installed

Traditional Yacht Wheels

South Shore Boatworks has crafted over 1,000 traditional wooden boat wheels in the last 45 years.

Custom Wheel Hubs