Need for an advice--tiller through the lazarette

[Guest Kai]

I am changing from the wheel to a tiller. Has anyone experience with a tiller which comes through the lazarette?

Really cold winter greetings from Finland

Kai :?:

[Frank Hagan]

I extended the tiller up over the transom, but that required changing how the rigging is set up. Not hard to do, but does require a longer main sheet which could get expensive. I like it because you can make it so your tiller swivels up out of the way, and put a hatch in the lazarette top. The pic below is first of the tiller set up, and then how I arranged a 4-part main sheet set up to accommodate having a tiller:

Several have done the tiller through the lazarette, so let's hope they join in and let you know how its done. When I asked Mike Stevenson about it, he said they just recommend extending the tiller through the same hole in the transom, and making the hole for the wheel shaft into a horizontal slot. Seems like that would make a pretty big slot, from seat edge to seat edge.

[Guest Anonymous]

I converted to tiller from wheel steering.

For a time, I left the old hole that went through the transom.

I NOW HAVE IT FILLED AND COVERED BECAUSE i DISCOVERED THAT THAT WAS WHERE i WAS TAKING ON WATER WHEN RETRIEVING THE BOAT DURING WAVY ROUGH DAYS. iT ALSO WAS A SOURCE OF WETNESS WHEN i LEFT THE BOAT TIED UP TO THE DOCK DURING A ROUGH DAY.

Sorry for the CAPS...I am too lazy to fix it. :oops:

[Frank Hagan]

I converted to tiller from wheel steering.

For a time' date=' I left the old hole that went through the transom.

[/quote']

Sounds like you have the tiller coming up over the lazarette too, huh?

I've seen several mods of this done, and most have had the tiller up over the top (the smart guys using axe handles from the home center, which cost them $10 instead of my Catalina tiller that cost $40!)

[buck]

I put my Tiller through the Lazerette with no apparant problems , I get a swing 45 degrees each side of centre (anymore acts as a brake anyway) The tiller is in much the same position as on the wheel rudder though I would beef up the wood above the tiller if I did it again. You can see the Lazette slot on the photo. http://www.messing-about.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=20&papass=&sort=1&size=medium&thecat=

It was nicely positioned and easy to use.

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[Johannah]

Buck, with your layout, would it make sense to use some hardwood to make a frame/moulding around the tiller slot to protect the plywood?

[Guest RADAR13]

hi

http://groups.msn.com/SandbarsandDriftwood/dalecollinsweekender.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=193

here is Daves weekeneder with the tiller through the Lazerette his look like it is surounder by oak thier are more pic of it

8) cool

[Guest Kai]

Thanks for tips!

I have in every case a hole in the transom and it is easy to extend the tiller.

I was worrying about that it is somehow impractical (messing with legs and the tiller)

Buck, how much space is between the tiller and the seat.

Buck you are just on the opposite side of the earth, the distance can not be just longer.

Kai

[Arlen]

Hi Kai, I'm doing that. Don't have it all rigged yet and not sure if it'll even work, but here's the plan right now. Wish I had some good pics for you but I don't ... it's still about 1/2 theory, but a number of the parts are done and I think it'll work. I'll try to explain as well as I can.... hope I don't lose you.

I cut off the stub tiller and modified the rudder box. I moved the top eye bolt that acts as a part of the hinge down a few inches to clear the connection of a new tiller shaft. I then drilled a hole thru the transom and rear deck inline with the shaft of the hinge. I epoxied a 1/2" dia length of CPVC (the thin walled plastic pipe) between the hole in the transom and the hole in the rear deck to act as a guide bearing for the tiller shaft. It seems solid enough (was worried the epoxy wouldn't bond, but it seemed to). I drove a 3/8" dia length of CPVC over a piece of threaded rod and mounted it securely in the hinge eyes to hold things inline as they cured. The 3/8" CPVC fits perfectly over the threaded rod and near perfectly inside the 1/2" piece, so that will probably sheath the final tiller shaft and act as the inner surface of my "bearing", though I may go for a thicker tiller shaft and nix the sheathing.

Here's the tricky part. You have to create a tiller shaft that can be securely attached to the tiller and rudder box and resist all the leverage the water will put on it, which has had me scratching my head for more hours than I will admit. I've settled on this.... I'll have a pro weld up a length of solid SS rod with a 4" or 6" tab on the bottom end that will in turn be thru bolted inside the rudder box. The top end of the shaft still has to be connected to the tiller, and I think I am going to have them make me up a good friction coupler of some sort (a pipe with a slot and tabs that can be thru bolted?). I can't do the same on top as I did on bottom as you have to get the shaft thru the bearing.

It's taken a lot of work where the other options are definitely easier and are probably less prone to failure. It is an experiment, but I'm pretty confident I can get it to work and it'll make my boat unique (for now ... well except for yours of course, lol). If I've totally confused you I'll try to draw up something to explain myself and e-mail it to you.

BTW - FRANK! nice site man ... noticed it not long after you changed over, but been a busy feller and not around much anymore. Keep up the good work.