[Public-list] Articulated tiller

[JohnI]

Thanks for the excellent description, Bob. It's a great solution to the
problem I seem to have of knocking the tillerpilot off the tiller when I'm
moving around the cockpit.

On 6/2/06, Robert E Johns <rjohns3 at optonline.net> wrote:
>
>
> On Jun 1, 2006, at 11:46 AM, Peter Staehling wrote:
>
> > Did you see the pictures at:
> > http://www.alberg30.org/maintenance/Steering/ArticulatedTiller/
>
> > They show it fairly well.
> >
> > I am curious about this arrangement too.  I am
> > impressed with it at least in concept.  Are there any
> > drawbacks you have found?
> >
> > Is the hinge stiff enough to stay in place in "normal"
> > operation?  It would seem it would either need to be
> > able to be locked in place or be stiff enough to not
> > flop up and down in normal operation, including
> > raising the whole tiller to a high angle to clear folk
> > knees when guests are on board, especially when
> > docking.  Could you comment on how your setup handles
> > in this regard.
> >
> > --- JohnI <a30blueteal at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Bob, What did you use for a hinge?
>
>
> As Peter pointed out,
>         http://www.alberg30.org/maintenance/Steering/ArticulatedTiller/
> shows two shots of the tiller on Wind Call. I had forgotten that
> George had put these onsite.
>
> In addition,
>         http://www.alberg30.org/maintenance/Steering/ArticulatedTiller/
> StraightTiller175.jpg
> shows a closeup of the hinge in the straight position of the tiller.
>
> Look at the closeup photo:
>
> The tiller is laminated in three layers. The two outside layers of
> the aft portion of the tiller (attached to the rudder post), form the
> sides of the hinge. The center layer of the forward portion of the
> tiller forms the pivoting portion of the hinge. The hinge is
> reinforced by two stainless steel plates on each side of the tiller.
> The pivot of the hinge is the middle bolt of the five bolts ( the one
> with the elastic stop nut). The four bolts with cap nuts secure the
> plates to the two parts of the tiller.
>
> The outside layers of the aft portion of the tiller are rounded to
> semicircles and the forward portion is cut to concave semicircles
> that match the aft portion.
>
> The inside layer on my tiller was designed so that a tongue on the
> bottom part of the forward portion of the tiller acted as a stop to
> prevent the forward portion from dropping below its normal level when
> in the straight position. This did not work because it was too easy
> to exert enough force on the tiller to break the tongue.  ("I leave
> it to the reader" to design this portion of the Articulated Tiller.)
> Actually, since the stainless plates are really able to support the
> whole load, the shape of the inner layer is unimportant except for
> esthetic purposes as long as there is enough clearance to move the
> forward part of the tiller to the desired positions. (It appears to
> me now that the tiller could also have been built with non-laminated
> wood.)
>
> The stainless steel plates were purchased as mast tangs intended for
> a small daysailer.
>
> Peter, the pivot bolt with the elastic stop nut is tightened to
> provide enough friction to to allow the forward part of the tiller to
> be moved to the desired positions and yet not be impossible to move.
> It does need adjusting once in a while so I keep a small crescent
> wrench in an accessible place below decks. Big changes in moisture
> seem to a cause to readjust it. I've changed the stop nut several
> times in about 25 years. There is no problem moving the whole tiller
> to the vertical position and while we do manually steer with the
> tiller in its normal  position we do not feel uncomfortable with the
> tiller raised above the horizontal a reasonable amount. (Obviously we
> would not try to steer the boat with the tiller within a few degrees
> of being inline with the rudder shaft with any kind of tiller.)
> Except for breaking the tongue (stop) off after first installing it
> there have been no problems. During our cruising days we made 15
> (16?) trips to Maine from Long Island averaging 900 to 1000 miles
> each cruise, so you can see that there is a lot of sailing time on
> that tiller.
>
> Let me know  if there is anything else I can tell you.
>
> Bob Johns, Wind Call, #397
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