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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

lashing down the tiller

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77Gypsy
Captain

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USA
356 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2004 : 12:29:06

I am trying to figure out a way to lash my tiller down rather than spending the $$$ on a autotiller system.. I’ve decided to try to keep things simple. I was thinking of having cleans mounted on port and starboard of the cockpit approx half way aft in the cockpit. Of course, I will have 2 lines from the tiller leading to a cleat on both sides. I was thinking of cam cleats and wanted to know where an ideal place would be to mount them. I know some of the deck around the cockpit might be inaccessible. Have any of you configured a similar system?

Steve
78 C25 SR/FK - Gypsy

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 12:59:31

For years on my Tanzer and now on my C25 I have used a piece of bungee cord. It has loops at each end that slip over the aft cleats and I tie a clove hitch on the tiller. It is stiff enough to hold the tiller in place but has enough spring to accommodate wave action. It is not an auto helm by any means but allows me to leave the tiller long enough to hoist the main, reef, pickup the mooring pendant, hoist the anchor etc. and maybe duck below to grab what ever I forgot to bring to cockpit before I left the mooring. Total cost $12 and no extra cleats or camcleats are needed.

Edited by - on

Bill Sloane
1st Mate

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USA
91 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 16:04:11

John:

I don't really get how you do your bungee cord. Mine is even simplier (see picture below) but not really strong enough for a good wind. Do you have a picture?

Bill
C-25 SR/SK No. 496

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 16:15:17

Bill, I use the same set-up as John. About an 8' length of bungee cord with the regular hooks on each end. Put the hooks on the aft cleat on each side of the cockpit (on the gunwales) and fashion a clove hitch around the tiller. It is easily adjustable (the clove hitch "rolls" on the tiller as you move it) and stays where it is put! Dirt cheap and the epitome of the K.I.S.S. principle.

In the past I've used both the Tiller Tamer and the Tillerman - but found them to be too slow to adjust, as well as a pain to remove every time so that you can replace the tiller cover.
Derek

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 17:26:09

for a quick and dirty tiller holder I have bungeed my boat hook end to the tiller, then set the rubber handle on the cockpit seat next to the backrest on the side that has a little weatherhelm, which presses the boat hook against the seat/backrest junction. Works in a pinch in light air.
One of these days I'll get around to hooking up my tillerpilot.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 17:54:51

Steve,

Here are several ideas I've used at various times on various boats.

Method 1.) Single length of line from one aft corner of the cockpit, clove hitch around tiller, to other aft corner of the cockpit. To engage, slide clove hitch forward until line is tight. To dissengage, slide clove hitch aft until line is loose. To adjust helm, slide clove hitch aft a bit, roll clove hitch around tiller to new adjustment, slide clove hitch forward again. A short section of medium strong shock cord in one leg of the line makes the whole thing easier to operate.

Method 2.) Two lengths of line, one from each side of the cockpit near the middle of the tiller. Each line maybe 2/3 the width of the cockpit, so there's enough length to form a large loop around the tiller and tie two or three half hitches back around the standing part about half way between the tiller and the coaming. The idea is to have loops that can be adjusted by sliding the stacked half hitches on the standing part. To use as a course holder while under way, start be determining which way the tiller wants to swing if left to its own devices. (Usually the result of weather helm.) Start by adjusting the line that would counteract that natural helm pull. Next, add the other line, and adjust its loop to take up slack.

To tie off the tiller with the boat at rest, start by adjusting both lines to the shortest lengths that will hold the tiller centered. This should end up with the loops up against each other on the tiller. Next, slide the loops apart maybe 6" to a foot. This will add tension, and will apply side thrust on the upper pintle. The rudder will transfer some of that side thrust to pushing the lower pintle in the opposite direction. As a result, both pintles will be preloaded, and rudder clunk will be reduced. This reduces gudgeon wear, and makes for a much more peaceful night's sleep in the quarter berth.

Method 3.) Sheet-to-tiller steering. This topic is beyond the scope of this post, but it can be made to work, alledgedly on every sailboat, on every point of sail. If you ever see a copy of the out of print book "Self-Steering for Sailing Craft", by John S. Letcher, Jr., for sale, grab it!

-- Leon Sisson

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John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 18:53:20

I’m sorry I don’t have a picture yet.
Yours is a similar idea I just use a much longer piece without the hooks. The clove hitch around the tiller is the key. It’s really a variation of an old idea. Many tiller sailors used a line with a rolling hitch to hold the tiller.

Edited by - on

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 19:39:57

A long while ago I installed a gizmo that mounts on the underside of the tiller that has a small (1/4") line that weaves thru it, and has a knob that clamps the line. The two ends of the line go aft around two uprights for the stern pulpit (some folks call it a "pushpit), and then to a small cam cleat that I mounted on another upright on the stern pulpit.

Works great. Never have to really adjust the lines at the pulpit, I just loosen the knob under the tiller and steer. When I want to "lock" the helm, I twist the knob a couple of turns and it stays put... Going to weather if you balance the boat with the sails, in most conditions you can sail a long way hands off (I went from Clear Lake to Galveston that way, a distance of over 20 miles). Off the wind Confetti gets a mind of her own and does not track well without steering (or the tillermaster gets a turn at the helm).

When tied up at the dock, or hove two, it holds the tiller securely in place.

Sorry I do not know who makes this little gadget, but I have seen them at W.Marine and Boat US.

Chuck

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 22:18:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cshaw
 Sorry I do not know who makes this little gadget, but I have seen them at W.Marine and Boat US.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I, like Chuck, swear by my $25 Davis Tiller Tamer.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2004 : 23:50:21

I think I like my tiller tamer, I only used it for a few weeks last fall. For years I would use my tiller extension, (hiking stick). I would adjust the length so I could let it lay against the seat back at a 90 degree angle from the tiller, you simply put a little lee helm in the trim and it would sit for long periods of time with the stick pressed against the seat back and the boat doing just fine.

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Scott L
1st Mate

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52 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 12:17:48

I just installed the Tiller Tamer from CD and it seems to be pretty slick. Of course Ahti is sitting in the driveway soI have had zero problems with it so far (ha). It was about $50 and is sold as being an improvement over the original tiller tamer but I do not know specifics. It is worth checking into.

Edited by - on

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 14:15:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Antares
I, like Chuck, swear by my $25 Davis Tiller Tamer.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes, Tiller Tamer, thats the name of the thing!!! Thanks JB!!

Chuck

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PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 15:52:54

Here’s one variation that I use.
1. A line is lashed at tiller at the line’s midpoint. My tiller already had a fitting on it for the hiking stick, so I drop a eyebolt thru that and simply attach the line to the eyebolt.
2. The line on either side of the tiller is looped back in a bight and attached to itself with a tautline hitch (rolling hitch).
3. Through that loop a bungee is inserted and closed around the stanchion on each side.
4. The following adjustments are now available.
A. Spring tension needed by adjusting the bungees .
B. Port/Starboard direction of tiller to set for weatherhelm by moving the tautline hitches as necessary.
C. Emergency release by pulling the eyebolt out of its hole.
This works quite well on close reaches.

Note: I've found that it's necessary to have the spring action from
the bungees. If the tiller is just locked down with the hiking stick or with the line directly around the stanchions course is not held so well.

Edited by - PZell on 03/25/2004 15:58:23

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 16:10:14

hey paul
are a scientist, or a professor of everything?
the code below your name, that is.

dave holtgrave
5722
sk/tr

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PZell
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 16:39:30

NAH Just an old worn out commerical (ship/shore) radio operator.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2004 : 23:33:06

Leon's reference to Self Steering for Small Craft is just the thing.

I rigged Letscher's idea up on our 1981 SR/FK #2859 and used it for years on SF Bay before I bought a tiller pilot.

Using Letscher's concepts really increases your understanding of sail trim.

I believe I have mentioned this in earlier posts, including details of my setup. The archive search, using Letscher (dang, gotta learn how to correctly spell that name, but I think Leon's got it right) would most likely turn it up.

Many ways work, hope you find one for you.

Great subject.

Stu

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