Tillers and hikings sticks

I just bought a new hiking stick for my tiller and it collapses down to 42" or somthing like that. Has anyone ever tried drilling a couple of holes 2" or so outboard of the center and having one for each side? You could put clips in the connecting bar and clip down the leeward one?

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

I was just recently thinking of doing the same thing. I was thinking of a "Y" type mount off the original mount. if you get yours finished first send me a picture. Im going to have a friend of mine weld me a "Y" connector when he gets the chance

The tiller is easiest used by throwing it around the back of the boat during jibes and tacks. That way you don't need to hassle with two tillers or having to strap one down while using the other one.

Just my two cents...I don't like the idea because, going from one to the other aren't you actually letting go of the rudder for too long? I've gotten so used to flipping it over to the other side, straight up and over to exactly where I want it to be. Pulling it out of a clip each time seems like a hassle......but let me know how it turns out.

How about high strengh magnets rather than clips?

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1982 Hobie 18

what happens when the unused tiller gets drug in the water and comes unclipped? It will be bouncing around off the back and possibly effect steering. This is totally unneccessary.

Why would you want two tiller extensions? Are you trying to avoid having to flip the one tiller extension behind the boat during tacks and jibes? Using two extensions is totally unnecessary and will probably be way more trouble and work.

In order to tack with two tiller extensions, you're going to come in off the wire and/or move to the back of the boat, collapse the extension, put it in it's clip, then push the tiller crossbar over to tack the boat, switch to the other side of the boat, pop the new extension out of its clip and extend the new tiller extension. A lot of work.

Just learn how to tack by flipping the tiller extension behind the boat. It's very easy.

sm

Why would you think of doing this modification????

Is it because you don't like to throw the tiller stick out and around to tack? ..... or is because the tiller stick/mainsheet stack interference when beating to weather in light air and the helmsman is sitting as far foreward and centered (hugging the mast) as possible????

I tried what you are talking about for distance racing on my P19 where you could be on the same tack for hours in light air on the Chesapeake Bay. I mounted two extra tiller stick mounts w/ Quick Pins ... one to port , the other to starboard. I would tack the boat and change the tiller stick over to the leeward side tiller mount (so I some angle between the tiller stick and the tiller crossbar. In the end I just found out it was just to much trouble to bother with .... I learned to just sit on the leeward side and do the "wild thing" in effect. In that position the tiller stick and mainsheet stack do not interfer w/ each other.

Also, if you research the Hobie Class Rules I seem to remember that somewhere in there, there is a rule about you CAN NOT change the position of the Tiller Stick mount on the Rudder/tiller crossbar.

And another suggestion: buy the H18MAGNUM Hotstick ... it is slightly longer allowing one to get farther forward on the boat, lifting the sterns out of the water thereby reducing the "drag" of the sterns .... and there is more "overlap" in the Hotstick, so that if you fall off the boat and are dragging off/behind the boat w/ the Hotstick caught under the rudder arm you are less likely to bend the Hotstick and break it. (been there, done that)

Install a "cork ball" on the Hotstick so it floats ... and if there is a little "hole" on the cork ball be sure to fill/plug it so sand can not get into the stick and jam it. For years there was no small hole in the cork balls but recently the manufacture started to make them w/ a small hole .... I have a brand new H18 magnum Hotsick used just once .... now its jammed ..... I'll sell it cheap!!!!!

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11