Tillers were the only method of steering ships across the ocean or the pond until the 1700s. Located in the helm of the ship, the wheel is only one part of the steering mechanism. A typical wooden wheel has eight spokes that connect at the hub of the wheel. Some of the earlier mechanisms consisted of two wheels on either side of a pedestal. A completed wheel, with it's axle and pedestal can be taller than the sailor trying to use it. |