Tiller Discussions

[mbd]

Because this thread is discussing the tiller head at large I thought I would clarify the worn hole I was mentioning.

I don't have a picture at the moment, but in regards to the worn hole mentioned above, my tiller fitting looks to have some sort of bronze "collars" that fit the inside of the hole and are just the right diameter for the bolts. (Sorry, no pics at the moment) But they work very well, because everything there is nice and snug...

Also, I'm thinking I'll try Ebb's suggestion and drill through the top of the fitting. I really like his idea of the bronze carriage bolts, so I'll have to pick up an appropriate sized file. I'd welcome any tips as to how to do this with limited tools and little to no expertise.

My tentative plan is to drill 2 holes through the top at roughly the same location as the 2 outer holes on the sides, then use the existing bolt and middle hole on the side and use it to keep the sides of the fitting secured.

As I said, "tentative", any and all suggestions/tips welcome!

[ebb]

Mike, that definitely had to be a machineshop fix on the hinge bolt.
They would have milled out the egg shape holes and pressed in the bushings that are probably pretty snug for the bolt. As it should be.
It's really very nice.

On the tiller attachment, that sounds pretty good to me, what you are thinking of doing. If possible see what some others think of the solution, especially those who can think outside the box.

The extra holes will lighten the fitting a bit. To the good.

However if the cosmetics bother you, the holes can be filled and ground off (and redrilled out later if need) Welding is easy and 655 forgiving. You don't have alloy changes happening like when you weld with s.s. and aluminum. That's my understanding.

[bill@ariel231]

Mike

an alternate solution might be to wrap the butt of the tiller in one layer of 6Oz cloth to bind the end of the tiller together and re-drill the existing holes.

I have no doubt just any solution will work.

cheers,
Bill

[ebb]

Just noticed over on the sailboatowners site that they have tillers for sale.
They have one S shape tiller with a 9.75" rise. Doesn't look like enough to me for the Ariel cockpit, but what do I know?

However, on the 'custom tiller' page there is a thumb nail showing the bottom of a custom tiller. It has a thick pad built on of what looks like a dense tropic wood.

Off the shelf laminated tillers are 1 1/2" wide. Don't know how deep. But deeper will add some overt strength to our 1 1/4" tiller width in the metal. That pad is a great idea if it is glued on there. I'd guess that almost all damage to a laminated tiller comes when somebody sits on it. That pad extending out beyond the through bolts of the tillerhead could be insurance to keep the laminations together.

Along with a glass wrap. AND vertical bolts!

[mbd]

an alternate solution might be to wrap the butt of the tiller in one layer of 6Oz cloth to bind the end of the tiller together and re-drill the existing holes.

I'm afraid I have already sawed and dismembered the end of my tiller. I'm going to try and clean it up with a dremmel this weekend and see if I can get it to fit.

Otherwise, I've been looking at tillers online, so Ebb's link is quite timely, though pricey. Defender's run around $60-$70, these are $99!

Web page here: Stock Custom Tillers

[bill@ariel231]

Tiller Option C is pretty close to the one i'm using now.

[mbd]

How do you like it? Anything you'd change?

[bill@ariel231]

I like the tiller we've got. We usually run the boat with two or three aboard with all folks at the forward end of the cockpit. when we do that, i can keep the tiller down where it belongs without banging my knees.

The triton folks have tried some other patterns (Tim Lackey et. al.) has one on his web site with a sharper rise near the tiller head (close to pattern A) . This may make for some more room at knee level. I think it's worth making a pattern in cardboard or roughing out a mockup from a 2x6 to see what works for you. Good insurance before buying a shape you may or may not be happy with in the long term. If you are buying a store-bought tiller in person, you might be able to trace the shape in cardboard and try it out in your cockpit before buying.