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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Tiller

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wghunt
Deckhand

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USA
1 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/25/2002 : 08:36:14

I need a new tiller handle. Has anyone attempted to make one? Any suggestions on the best way to go about this or a source for handle?

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 08:46:20

wg

I'm not sure what you by a tiller handle,

If you mean the tiller itself, you can get that from Catalina Direct, page 4-36 part number E8070, according to my book $50.98.

I suspect you are talking about a tiller extension, and they offer two, part Z2032 19"-32" quick release for $60.95 and a 27"48" quick release for $63.95.

If you mean something else explain what it is and I imagine the forum will be able to help.

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 10:10:16

Making a new tiller is easy and inexpensive. I took my old tiller to a local lumber yard that stocks some specialty woods, in addition to the usual construction lumber. They had a piece of rough-cut mahogany that was about 2 inches by 6 or 8 inches, and long enough to make a tiller. With a pencil, I traced the outline of the tiller onto the mahogany, and for about $5.00 the lumber yard cut it out for me on their band saw. (Mahogany is very hard, and the lumber yard’s saw can cut it much straighter, smoother and easier than your own saw.) Then I rounded off the sharp edges of the tiller with a router and a round-over bit. (If you don’t have a router or don’t know how to use one, you can round off the edges with a 4 ½ “ grinder or belt sander, or any other appropriate tool.) The mahogany was slightly thicker than my old tiller, so I used a 4 ½” grinder to thin it slightly at the end where the steel plates are through-bolted. Then, I drilled three holes in it to attach the steel plates, finish-sanded it, and coated it with Cetol. I just finished my third season with it, and haven’t even kept a Sunbrella cover on it, as I used to do with my old tiller. It’s still in great shape. I could fabricate a new one in an hour (except for coating it with Cetol). It’s an easy off-season project. If you can’t find mahogany, other hardwoods could be substituted.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 14:33:22

Be carefull cutting a tiller out of a board. My tiller, I don't think is stock, is straight. The neighboring C25 has a nice s shaped curve to it, I think this is stock. If you have a straight one, no problem. If your tiller is curved you could have serious breakage problems. Wood is strong when you have all straight grain, when you have curves you will have short lengths of straight grain. THIS WILL BREAK. Notice the original is laminated with bent peices. You can do this by making a jig and cutting your wood into thin strips and bending them into place. Bent laminated wood will be very strong and last a lifetime.

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 14:58:11

Last Spring I bought a beautiful mahogany and ash replacement tiller for $48 from BoatUS. They sell all of the popular replacement tillers. http://www.boatus-store.com/browse/item.asp?CFSR=1& IID=18348

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

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jellyfish
Navigator

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USA
171 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 17:05:48

the BoatUS or West is the way to go. I did years ago use a axe handle $10 from the local hardware store to get me though until I could make a run to BoatUS. worked fine and now is a backup.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 17:23:30

I agree with Matt... Cutting a curved tiller out of a straight board will leave one and possibly two areas where the grain cuts across the tiller. Each of these areas has a high potential for breakage, even with very hard wood. That's why you see the bent laminations--not because they're pretty. Cat Dir, West, and BoatUS all have very nice replacements for a fraction of a boat unit.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 18:04:17

Jelly fish,
I can see it now. Skull and Crossbones up the yard arm steerage by battle ax. Arrrrg me mattie

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 19:48:27

Here's an interesting tiller story. There is a C25 swinger in my marina that is used exclusively as a dockside cottage, it only leaves the slip at the end of the season. The owner is a very nice, sociable person and is proud of her boat, but doesn't particulary have much sailing experience. Anyway this season when she put the boat in, the tiller was installed upside/down, this put the end of the curved tiller about ankle high. I didn't mention this to her because I knew the boat wasn't going anywhere and I didn't have the heart to say, "Errr...Ummm...Nice tiller...Ummm...Do you know it's installed upside/down?"

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 21:59:54

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I didn't have the heart to say, "Errr...Ummm...Nice tiller...Ummm...Do you know it's installed upside/down?"

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Don
You might just ask her over to your boat and say ‘why don’t you try the tiller this way, it’s easier to reach and most owners find it a good way to have the tiller.’ No need to tell her she’s wrong, just doing it differently. We all can benefit from the experience of other owners.
Also she might like to sail with you and see how her boat can get her around instead of just sitting at the dock. I was unsure about anchoring in a breeze alone and a friend offered to come along and just sit and do nothing unless I got in trouble. It helped a lot. My anchoring still looks like a Chinese fire drill but at least I tackle (yes it’s a pun) it with gusto.
 

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
 John G- "PEREGRINE" C25-#4762 FK

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 22:28:29

"You might just ask her over to your boat and say ‘why don’t you try the tiller this way, it’s easier to reach and most owners find it a good way to have the tiller"

Yeah, I probably should have done something like that, but I was thinking of just going on her boat when she wasn't there and flipping it.

"..Also she might like to sail with you and see how her boat can get her around instead of just sitting at the dock."

She has taken sailing classes and she does go sailing with others in the marina. This summer I took her, her sister and two nieces out for sail when they were in town from California. I think she is content to liveaboard on the weekends enjoying the marina setting and socializing with her marina friends.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 22:39:09

It might be best if the boat stays in the slip... No telling how the sheets and halyards are rigged! And forget about the standing rigging!! <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 22:45:10

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
...I was thinking of just going on her boat when she wasn't there and flipping it.
Don Lucier, 'North Star'
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
NO Don, NO! Never!

I probably have something bass-ackward on our boat, but if you board it and change it, I'll hunt you down like a a duck in a noose! <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2002 : 23:34:57

Dave,

No running rigging just docklines, and I was only thinking about going onboard and flipping it, I wasn't actually going to do it. I limit my unauthorized boarding of other vessels to adjusting docklines when boats are in trouble. It's amazing how many people don't consider water level fluctuations when tying up their boats.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2002 : 09:31:44

Matt, you’re right about straight wood grain leaving a weak spot where the wood curves. I should have mentioned that I selected a piece of mahogany that had curved grain that closely matched the curve in the tiller, and the result is a tiller that is stronger and more maintenance free than the laminated one. The original laminated tiller doesn’t really curve very much, and it wasn’t difficult to find a suitable piece of mahogany. Also, my tiller is thicker than the original. I also should have mentioned that the piece of mahogany cost about $6.00.

Maintaining the old laminated tiller was an annual chore. If someone leaned on it or put too much downward pressure on it, the through-bolted end de-laminated and had to be re-glued. The through-bolted end developed a case of rot, and I had to repair it repeatedly with resin, until it was beyond repair. Occasionally it de-laminated at the curve, and had to be re-glued. I have had none of those problems with the new tiller, and have stressed it as much as you can stress a tiller, broaching the boat several times in the past three years. Now that I have been liberated from the chore of babying and repairing that evil laminated tiller, I will never go back!

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2002 : 11:24:42

"...If someone leaned on it or put too much downward pressure on it, the through-bolted end de-laminated and had to be re-glued. The through-bolted end developed a case of rot, and I had to repair it repeatedly with resin, ..." - Steve Milby

The tiller I replaced also had the same rot at the through-bolted end causing partial delamination. Apparently the rot was caused by water getting into the drilled, unprotected(bare wood) bolt holes. Additionally, there were indications that the bolts securing the tiller brackets loosened up(holes were elongated) which probably put to much pressure on the inside of the holes.

To protect my new tiller, I used thin neoprene washers between the plates and the tiller. These neoprene washers act like gaskets to prevent water from entering the bolt holes. Additionally, they keep the metal brackets from contacting the wood(I can see daylight between them) and abrading the protective finish. I secured the brackets with stainless steel bolts and locknuts torqued somewhat tightly. This compresses the washers, spreading the load out on the sides of the tiller. If someone were to lean on it(yeah, it might fail if my 250lb friend sits on it) the stress is not primarily on the bolt shafts and holes, but on the sandwiched sides of the tiller.

Just remember one thing, "Water ALWAYS Wins". This applies to everything; windows(leaks), hulls(blisters), interiors(mildew), cored decks(rot), thru-hulls(sinking), metals(corrosion), and even wooden tillers.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2002 : 14:16:15

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> (yeah, it might fail if my 250lb friend sits on it)<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Don, if your 250 lb friend sits on your laminated tiller, it'll snap like a twig. It doesn't take that much stress to damage the laminated tiller. If the boat lurches and someone leans against the tiller, that's enough to do it. I went through 2 laminated tillers before making my own.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2002 : 14:45:54

You know Don, keeping with the K.i.S.S. method, your fiend probably has the tiller upside down to make more room to spread out.<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

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