Why does the cockpit have dual wheels and engine controls?
The big cockpit of the Shoalsailer would require a very large center wheel as found on Maxi boats to give forward visibility from the helm, especially when docking. Such a big wheel obstructs the cockpit, which is a critical area on a cruising boats, since 80% of daylight hours are spent in the cockpit. The dual wheels on the Shoalsailer provide a perfect position for steering while watching sail trim and boat traffic. With a boat as relatively wide as the Shoalsailer, docking is made much easier by the ability to see right along the side of boat and to be able to operate the engine controls from either wheel as you approach the dock. It is surprising how difficult it is to dock a wide boat with a single wheel like most catamarans, and amazingly, many dual station boats have only one set of engine controls. It gets even better when sailing, as the convenient location of the primary sheet winches immediately in front of the helm stations allows one person to easily tack the Shoalsailer
