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New Tiller

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John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/13/2003 : 18:57:13

I would like to purchase a new tiller. Where's the best place to buy it?

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2003 : 20:25:40

West, BoatUS, or Catalina Direct. From BoatUS or West, the C-25 tiller is the same as for the Coronado 25 or the O'Day 27.

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

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2003 : 01:04:26

I bought my last tiller from Catalina Direct several years ago, but I think it is really a "generic" tiller made by an aftermarket manufacturer, H&L Marine Woodwork (item number 257477), available from SailNet, West Marine, and most chandleries that would carry general-purpose sailboat parts and accessories. It is a curved, laminated tiller, the middle one in this picture from the West Marine catalog:

<img src="http://www.westmarine.com/images/full/05018_f.jpg" border=0>

Larry Charlot
Catalina 25 #1205 "Quiet Time"
Sacramento, CA

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2003 : 08:53:34

I bought mine, three seasons ago, from the factory. I’m sure they buy from a outside supplier but it is the same shape and size as the original.
The tiller I got does look like the center one in the post above.

Click on the “Peregrine” icon.
 

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
[url="http://www.catalina25-250.org/photo/peregrine2.jpg"]"Peregrine"[/url] C25-#4762 FK

Edited by - john g- on 04/14/2003 12:05:18

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2003 : 13:23:57

Mine looks more like either one of hte top two or the bottom one. I have been thinking of making my own, has anyone done this. Does anyone have a line drawing or tracing of a tiller that can be posted so I can print it off to get the curve. Mine is low and this makes it hard to use. Real knee knocker.

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

Edited by - on

77Gypsy
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
356 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2003 : 15:14:45

west marine seems to always have some in stock, the price is good too. H&L Marine in i think florida, makes them custom and do a superb job and their prices are good.

Steven de Filippis
78 catalina 25 - Gypsy

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John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2003 : 15:47:48

MINE DELAMINATED AND BROKE ON THE WATER. I BOUGHT A NEW ONE AT BOAT US AND IT WAS THE SAME MANUFACTURE AS THE ONE THAT CAME ON MY BOAT.
JOHN ON MS ACHSA.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2003 : 18:45:06

Matt,

If you wanted to make your own tiller you could go to BoatUS or West Marine and grab a C25 tiller off the shelf and trace it for a pattern.

BTW, as Larry pointed out, the C25 tiller is the center one and it has a deep curve in it to get it up and over the knees. I bought a new one at BoatUS last spring for $48.00.

<img src="http://www.westmarine.com/images/full/05018_f.jpg" border=0>

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2003 : 19:46:18

Matt,

I made a tiller out of a piece of 2x6 or 2x8 mahogany that I obtained from a local lumber yard. I used the old tiller as a pattern, to establish the general shape of the curve. You need to select a board that has a curve in the grain to match the curve in the finished tiller. If you don't, the tiller will be weak at the curve. I had the lumber yard cut the shape for me on their band saw, because mahogany is somewhat hard to cut, and they only charged about $4.50. I made the tiller a bit thicker than the original, to give it more strength. I rounded all the edges with a router and a roundover bit. It looks good, is much stronger than the old one, and there isn't a chance that it will delaminate, ever.

If your tiller is low, look at the hole where the 3/8" bolt connects it to the rudder. Mine became oblong, causing the tiller to hang lower than normal. If you make your own tiller, you can modify its shape to rise higher, and you can also attach the stainless steel mounting plates differently, to make the tiller rise higher.

My total cost of materials was about $15.00, as I recall.

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

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2003 : 00:59:53

Steve,
I think it would be quicker and probably cheeper to buy one, but part of the joy of boat ownership is doing the stuff on your own. I have also wanted to try some bent laminating for a while and I think it would be a good excuse. Right now we are in the middle of a remodle and all my tools are in storage. The home made one will have to wait. Thanks for the idea of going into a store and tracing one. The obvious solutions are usually the duh ones you don't think of.<img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>

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

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2003 : 11:58:17

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> part of the joy of boat ownership is doing the stuff on your own.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Amen!!!

There's a special beauty to self-reliance that can never be achieved by signing your name (to a check and/or credit card slip).

RichardG 81 C25 SR/FK "Sanity"

Edited by - on

jsummerfield
1st Mate

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USA
96 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2003 : 20:04:44

"I think it would be quicker and probably cheeper to buy one, but part of the joy of boat ownership is doing the stuff on your own."

"There's a special beauty to self-reliance that can never be achieved by signing your name (to a check and/or credit card slip)."

I agree that certain repairs to the electrical system etc. are an opportunity to learn about the boat. This learning is useful when you break down under sail. However, I wrote the check for my replacement tiller and went sailing instead of spening the additional time working on the tiller.

John

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2003 : 10:57:45

I didn't fabricate my own tiller for the joy of accomplishment, although that is a benefit of having done so. And, I wasn't motivated by a desire to save money, although it did save a few dollars. My motivation was to eliminate the frequent chore of maintaining my tiller. Through the years I had replaced my laminated tiller a couple of times and felt that I was spending an inordinate amount of time maintaining them. They repeatedly became de-laminated and had to be re-glued, and the outboard end of one of them dry-rotted, even though I kept it covered with a sunbrella cover and habitually covered the end grain with polyurethane.

The tiller that I fabricated is quite strong, and it will never de-laminate. It didn't cut into my sailing time, because I made it during the winter, and it only took about three hours to make it, which was no more than it would have taken to re-glue and re-finish the old one. The only thing I have covered the new tiller with is cetol, and, after two seasons the mahogany is holding up very well. (I have not covered it with a sunbrella cover.) If my tiller deteriorates, I can replace it in less time than it would take to repair a laminated one. By fabricating a tiller, I have accomplished my purpose of reducing the amount of time required to maintain it.

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

Edited by - on

Todd Frye
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
222 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2003 : 11:09:53

My tiller was also hitting my knees on tacks, so my fix consisted of seeing where the "stop" was for the handle and adding a shim to bring the tiller up about 6 inches on the inboard end. There is a step in my factory rudder, where the end of the tiller rests in the down position. By cutting a 3/8" thick shim of white high density polyethylene and gluing (epoxy) it onto the rudder step, the tiller handle position is raised right where I want it. The polyethylene is easy to cut on a band saw and glues and sands well, making a very good cosmetic match to the rudder. Good luck. Todd Frye

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