Association Forum - Tiller Finish Recommendations?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Tiller Finish Recommendations?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

NuNees
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
125 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/06/2003 : 23:12:36

I just bought my first sailboat...I have been introduced to West Marine and have enjoyed the hand shake...More importantly, I have read and enjoyed the collective wisdom of this group, led by 'dlucier,MMC'.
So I will put this question to the forum...
I have removed the tiller and the motor mount. Both seem to be in reasonable shape and look as though they are laminated oak. I have stripped them of their finish and have sanded to bare wood.
The questions: Slight voids in a few of the lamination edges on the tiller. It looks more like an errosion situation than a de-lamination. What should I use to 'fill' and what should I use to coat the tiller? I'd like a high gloss and a light color. Is that practicle? I do have a tiller cover.
The motor carrier lookd good and solid and will take the same finish.

My first handshake at West Marine provided 'Z-Spar 1015 Captain's Varnish'.
What do I REALLY need?

Thank you,
Bill Jaworowski, '85 C25 SR/SK #4953
hope this has spell check!

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 02:05:35

Bill, I really like the Polyurithanes. They last a long time in the sun. They seem more flexible than varnish.

Todd Hansen
San Luis Obispo, CA

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 05:12:07

A recent issue of Practical Sailor rated West Marine Skipper Varnish very highly. It's a little darker than Captain's Varnish, but the darker color varnishes provide better protection. I use 7 coats.

Whichever varnish you decide to use, get yourself a first-class sunbrella tiller cover and use it faithfully. That will protect and keep your varnish for years.

Welcome!

Brooke

Edited by - on

nate
Navigator

Members Avatar

240 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 08:50:44

Bill,
Welcome...the tiller on my boat is the only piece of ext. wood that I varnish. The rest has a Cetol finish but for some reason I like the look/feel of the varnish on the tiller. As mentioned above, use that tiller cover to protect your hard work. In fact, I made a mooring cover for my cabintop that covers all the trim and seems to be holding up well here in Vegas.
I really like my friends at West Marine, but I've found some good deals shopping online at Sailnet. Give them a try!

Nate Adams
C25 #5695 WK/SR/Trad
"Heeling Properties"
Lake Mead, NV

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 11:28:14

I agree with Todd. After cutting 6" off the cockpit end of the tiller (to make more room in the cockpit for the genoa trimmer!) I sanded to bare wood and then applied 3 coats of polyurethane hi-gloss. It brings out the laminations in the wood like varnish does, but lasts a lot longer. It's been two years now and it still looks brand new. I do use a sunbrella cover when not at the boat.
Derek on "This Side Up"

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 12:35:11

Welcome aboard, Bill. I think you picked the right boat for your first one. It shows you have a keen eye and good judgement! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

"More importantly, I have read and enjoyed the collective wisdom of this group, led by 'dlucier,MMC'." - Bill

You don't often see the word "wisdom" and my name in the same sentence. <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle> But, I'm not the leader, I just have way too much idle time with my boat being on the hard.

Anyway, about your tiller. In your post, you said, "Slight voids in a few of the lamination edges on the tiller. It looks more like an errosion situation than a de-lamination."

What are these voids and what do you mean by erosion? The reason I ask is, we had a discussion about tillers awhile back and Steve Milby brought up that the laminated tillers have a tendency to snap like a twig. Since my old tiller was in the garage, I decided to give it a test. This tiller still looked good, but it had some issues(lamination had parted and there was some water damage on the rudder end) Anyway, I went out and wedged one end under my workbemch and lifted up on the tiller handle. Sure enough it went SNAAAAAAAAAAP!.

Now, to be fair, I probably put more pressure on it than it would normally experience in actual use and it was delaminated, but it snapped earlier than I thought even with these issues.

Having said that, inspect your tiller carefully and if everything looks okay, go ahead and refinish it. But if it looks suspect, you may want to get a new one.

Again, welcome aboard and good luck with the new boat!

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc32b3127cce92e981259d130000001010" border=0>
Cradled on the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

Edited by - on

10timesSaltier
1st Mate

Members Avatar

80 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 12:50:48

Bill,

Also, sanding can take off a lot of wood. My tiller was starting to get pretty rough looking; I found that replacing it was easier given time restraints.

I bought and installed a new one -- it's pretty, and I didn't have to do any varnishing. $53 from Boat U.S.

Brian.
Great Salt Lake (10-times saltier than the ocean)
"SAFARI", C25 TR-FK #2275

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 13:18:32

I use polyurethane with a UV inhibitor. Applied 8-10 coats in year 1 to fill the grain - using bronze wool between coats. Scuff with bronze wool and apply 1 coat each spring. Looks like glass. I keep it out of the elements with a tiller cover.

Edited by - on

jwilliams
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 21:48:10

Hi all,

Funny the tiller coating thing came up just now. I just finished mine with 5 coats of Man-O-War poly varnish.

The long neglected C25 next to me at the marina has had a tiller cover on it, since forever, I guess. I took a look just to compare. To my surprise the laminations were all coming apart from end to end. There was no way to salvage it. Whoever buys it will have to replace it, along with a lot of other stuff. It looked like it had never been coated. But that cannot be, right?

Still no wind on the bay, so I skulled for three hours today.

Jim Williams
Hey Jude C25fk 2958
Half Moon Bay, CA

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

Members Avatar

793 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2003 : 22:02:36

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Still no wind on the bay, so I skulled for three hours today.

Jim Williams
Hey Jude C25fk 2958
Half Moon Bay, CA
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Jim,
I graduated from Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz in 1971 (shut up!) is that great little shack with the abalone chowder still there? I helped a couple of guys build cement boats back in “the days”.
 

[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

Edited by - on

NuNees
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
125 Posts

Response Posted - 02/09/2003 : 10:22:16

Thank you for the advise and counsel...
I took a really close look at the darker lamination joints,
scraped them clean, to good glue/wood. Then looked even closer into the groove.
Overall, It seems that there is only one joint on either side, not opposite each other, that had shown any sign of deterioration.
It being in this good shape after 15 years is, I believe, a result of the PO's use of the tiller cover. I plan to follow suit.
Then, I tried to break it by hooking it into a crook on the work bench and leaning on it...NO FLEXION, NO BREAKING...although it did not get full benfit of my 200#.
I'm ready to say it is solid.
I am still considering shortening the tiller...I'll have to see what the admiral says about that...then 7/8 coats of polyeurathane w/ UV protection.
Perhaps, by the time I get the tiller completed I will have my scanner up and running and can share a photo.

Thank again,
Bill J. C25 SR/SK #4953. Lake Carlyle, SoILL.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.