Wheel

The Wheel is a Ship component and Ship Customization Item in Sea of Thieves. They are purchased at a Shipwright and equipped via a Ship Customization Chest.

Mechanics
The Wheel (aka the ship's Helm) is used to steer the Ship either left or right. The basic wheel layout is the same on every ship type: On the right of every Helm there is a mounted Compass that indicates the direction the ship is heading. Every Wheel has a main spoke uniquely decorated to stand out from the other spokes. This main spoke will stick straight up when the Wheel is centered, turned to the far left, or turned to the far right. When the main spoke passes over the center of the wheel, the player will hear an audible "click" and, if using a controller, a small vibration which indicates that the rudder is pointed straight forward.

The number of full rotations the wheel can perform differs by ship type. The Sloop's wheel is much quicker to turn and only goes through one full rotation to the sides. On the larger Brigantine, the Wheel requires 1,5 rotations and on the Galleon, the wheel requires 2 full rotations to reach the far left or right, making them harder to turn as the wheel requires more time to bring around. While sailing through or near a Storm, the heavy winds and large waves make the wheel turn on its own; the ship's Compass will also malfunction. Players have to fight back the pull to keep the ship straight. A similar effect also occurs when the player is drunk from Grog).

When the Ship's Sails are angled to the sides into full wind, the wind will pull the ship off course. While this does not turn the wheel, players will have to keep an eye on their heading and wind direction to maintain proper course.

When hit by Cannonballs, the wheel can become damaged with up to four spokes breaking off. This makes turning the wheel a lot slower, hindering the Ship's maneuverability. A damaged wheel can be repaired with Wooden Planks, requiring one Plank to replace each broken Spoke.

Fire can also damage the Wheel when left unattended.

Variants
The following are all the available Cosmetic Wheel Variants in Sea of Thieves:

Timón