Aloha,
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Eric. I live in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. I have owned a Wave for about four years now. I keep and sail my Wave (The Kaos Kitty) on Windward Oahu’s Kaneohe Bay. (
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/19359.shtml) A normal day out on the Bay will involve 20mph+ trade winds. The outer reef blocks the big ocean swells so inside the Bay you’ll find 1-2ft surface waves. I have raked the mast as much as the factory forestay and shrouds will allow. On particularly rough days I keep my weight as far back on the windward hull as possible to keep the bows up. My range of motion is limited by the tiller cross bar though.
My question is this: is it possible to move the tiller cross bar closer to the transoms by shortening the tiller arms? I was looking at the tiller arms and believe it would be possible to shorten both of them as much as six inches by taking some length off both ends of the bars (where the tiller arm connects with the cross bar and with the upper casting.) This would allow me and, the center of gravity, to move back some and perhaps keep my lee bow above the wave crests.
Has anyone done such a modification? Any opinions or suggestions?
eeo