PocketShip.net

I had an interesting thing happen yesterday. When backing out from the dock (my motor has no reverse) I usually keep one hand on the motor bar and steer with the tiller. Yesterday, I took my hand off the tiller for just a second and the rudder slammed over hard, snapping the tiller off right where it goes into the top of the rudder. Talk about a confusing few seconds, with rocks ten feet to the left and a couple of $35,000 bass boats to the right. Luckily I was able to cut power and reach back and pull the rudder to the center and make a turn to get out of the way. So,I'll be building a new tiller, perhaps with a steel pin or two for strength. Keep on sailing, captain charlie

Hey Cap'n,

That's not good, glad you could recover.

Wood(!) you share what wood you used for your tiller? Mine is ash, my second one (not yet fitted) is laminated (a gift from my son).

Thanks

SteveW
Kilderkin II (surrounded by 6' of snow at present)

The wood used for my tiller and also for the boom gallows was alternating strips of plywood left over and makore, a mahogony relative. The makore was also used for the companionway, hood, rails, and toe rails. Evidently the sudden force against the tiller was too much. I tried whittling the tiller down so it would fit in the rudder so I could at least enjoy the 75 degree day; however, either my knife wasn't sharp enough or the layers of epoxy and varnish were too strong. So I motored back to the marina with my tail between my legs, so to speak. I guess just another compelling reason to have an alternate means of propulsion. captain charlie

Charlie,

So sorry to hear about your mishap. Better get that knife sharpened.

I have fashioned a tiller of oak, which I plan to use at first, and make a new laminated one of ash and makore or mahogany as a winter project. It seems to me that a laminated tiller would be much stronger than solid wood, but maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the weakness was in the plywood layers since half the grains run laterally, but that's just a guess.

I hope the oak tiller holds up, given that it is only 3/4" thick. That's one thing that has bothered me about the rudder, the tiller slot is so narrow that the tiller has to be very thin. It could be made thicker, but you would still have to narrow it at the slot end, so what would be the point? Anyway, if the oak tiller does hold up my plan now is to store it in the boat as an emergency spare, when and if I get the new one made. You can purchase them custom-made. Pretty expensive but might be worth it, given my woodworking "skill."