Tillers

What tiller do you guyz use?

  • Carbon tiller

    Votes: 35 58.3%
  • Stainless steel

    Votes: 18 30.0%
  • Wood

    Votes: 7 11.7%

  • Total voters
    60

Tom

New Member
This is for the post what ever his name didnt know how to but up a poll!
Quote " what tillers do you guys use?"
 
stainless is so much better because when it breaks in the surf in coffs harbour u can easily replace it and they are worth peanuts hear. compared to carbon which are shipped from usa or uk and cost $450 for a good one
 
Your an idiot they are made in australia and the carbon tillers are worth the money. When you go from stainless to carbon is like sailing with immediate feel on the helm and not having the tiller hit the fairled is what i love the most. Also the advantage of getting the travler rope lower to the deck also helps your upwind. Carbon tillers dont usually break but that wave situation is an extreme case and the tiller is usually fixed for 20 to 30 bucks. Also the price of a carbon tiller in Australia is 295 from the dealer not 450 and the ones sold at the laser dealer in australia are of very high quality. Mine broke in an extreme cercomestance not because of the quality im sure the dealer and the maker of this tillers would be very offened!
 
I've never heard of a stainless tiller, I would think it would be quite heavy compared to carbon or aluminum for the same stiffness - could someone post a pic or a link to a company selling them
 
Stainless? What are you guys doing cutting down stanchions? That has to be heavy.
 
you can make a allluminium tiller that is the same shape as the carbon ones that would work, its basically 2 different lengths of allluminium pin welded together( ill draw the plan up later) but i havent used one so i dont know how well they would work. The whole point of a carbon fibre tiller isnt for the weight but for the low profile.

Two links the first one is the one i own (really good ;) )
1. http://www.lasersales.nelsonbay.com/images/carbon2.jpg

Black diamond (most popular carbon tiller)
2. http://www.jdecm.com/laser/images/full.jpg
 
Hi
about what´s the best c-tiller, see also TLF-thread 1019 ("Carbon Tillers") from T. Scully at TLF "Laser sailing area", date is 18th Feb 2004.

I use a Larry Marks Alu-Tiller with a tuned (has selfmade-added longer grippy-neoprenetube on it, than the original) "X10" Jumbo Ronstan Alu-tillerextension (the big diametered one, look at APS Ltd.). I got it used from a pro that bought himself a c-tiller. I payed less than 40 Euro and if they anytime get broken, I go to the next home store to get new alu-tubes and screw the LarryMarks-tillerhead to this new stuff.

If I descide, in very far future, to race again, I will buy a used carbon-kanoe-paddle-from a pro at our local kanoeing-club and build a c-tiller from it, like our Laser pros from GER has done. I think there I can save some cents, too.

Oops, I forgot, I have already also a selfmade alu tiller (rectangle profile, so the LarryMarks-alu-tillerhead) that I got from an old food of a boken table, it did cost me nothing, only some sweat for bending it into the right form and for sawing into the right length. This tiller is my reserve-tiller, if maybe *Lu Looses* a rudder in the deep-water...:D

Bye-bye
LooserLu
(Recreational Laserite)
 
I'm still using the old Alluminium one, I don't see how you could ever bend or break one. So from what I gather, the carbon tiller provides a sharper feel of the boat, and allows more traveller tension. Is this right?
 
Ive busted an aluminium one, in the surf. The lower the tiller the better it slips back and forth under the traveller, giving better feel and allowing the traveller to be cranked on so, yes, your right.
 
LooserLu said:
... I have already also a selfmade alu tiller (rectangle profile, so the LarryMarks-alu-tillerhead IS NOT NEEDED) that I got from an old food of a boken table,...

Sorry I forgot the words "is not needed" in that reply No. 10.

Bye-bye
LooserLu
 
would it be possiable to get a piece of wood then shape it into a carbon tiller shape then glass over it? (my friend wants to try it)
 
Alluminum, self made with aircraft grade, anodized, fitted with a cleat and laser rudder fitting. Cost about $25 for all the parts and been using it for 5 years with out incident.



By the way, why are some of the people on this forum so nasty? I've never been on a forum when so many people slam each other. Glad they live far away so I do not meet them on the water rounding a mark. This is a forum to share ideas, not a place to call people idiots, or criticize an idea or suggestion.

Why do sailors have so much water rage?
 
Hi,

I have an ACME Carbon Fiber tiller/stick. It's very nice, but still rubs on the traveller knots. Any ideas for that?

My second boat has a wooden tiller, cut to a similar shape as the ACME, and it has no glass etc. It works fine, but is definately softer. A broken graphite golf shaft works well as a stick. I definately reccommend cutting a wooden tiller to half thickness to clear the Traveller cleat. Aluminum might be cut also, to clear the cleat?

Getting the traveller blocks across the tiller cleanly is only slightly helped by a lower profile tiller. Using non-stretch line is much more important, to end the "springy" factor of a regular dacron line. I use kevlar, the core of an old halyard, about 1/4". I leave it snug only, all the time, and the traveller passes easily, yet stays out by the traveller eye when 2 blocked. Spectra core or other might be as good, and last longer? This is definately worth the money vs. the stock lines.

Al Russell 66451
 
vtgent49 said:
Hi,
I have an ACME Carbon Fiber tiller/stick. It's very nice, but still rubs on the traveller knots. Any ideas for that?

What works pretty well is to tie a bowline with a long loop. This moves the knot of the bowline within a few inches of one of the eyes. Then, with the free end of the traveller, tie a simple overhand knot at the loop. This knot is slightly smaller in profile and if you tie it so the line exits at the bottom of the knot and then runs to the cleat, stays right down on the deck. I've never had a problem with it hitting on my ACME tiller. My traveller line is 3/16" which also helps in keeping the knot size smaller.
 
Steven
By the way, why are some of the people on this forum so nasty? I've never been on a forum when so many people slam each other. Glad they live far away so I do not meet them on the water rounding a mark. This is a forum to share ideas, not a place to call people idiots, or criticize an idea or suggestion.

Why do sailors have so much water rage?

Unfortunately, if someone has an opinion they usually stick to it and in most cases they have to down someone elses conflicting opinion.

As for water rage, thats a little different, you have every right to let a preson know when they are doing wrong on the race course as there is no opinions, only ISAF rules!
 
Also if you make the triangle of your travler rope small it helps keep the rope very tight.
 
Okay,

Move my vote from wood to carbon. I just bent over and ordered a Rooster tiller. I was tired of the slop that my out of shape wood tiller was giving me...
 
As for water rage, thats a little different, you have every right to let a preson know when they are doing wrong on the race course as there is no opinions, only ISAF rules
Ever noticed how all the screaming goes on in the middle of the fleet? The sailors out front just get on with job, very good incentive to get better to get away from the on water lawyers.
 
I just got a new ACME black diamond tiller and it seems very different to black diamond my coach has, the one he has seems to be made a lot different and looks a little more high quality. also it was a sticker that says "black diamond" where mine does not. Mine also fits soo loosly in teh rudder head that i had to wrap it in electrical tape to get a snug fit, i heard the old ones had the oposite problem, where they were too big. does anyone know anything about this or has anyone noticed the same thing?
 
Does anybody remember or still use the "Larry Marks" tillers? They were the top of the line when I was younger (in the 90s). I still have and use mine. The rudder fitting is super tight (which was the main point I believe) but the aluminum tiller is pretty fat. I am thinking about taking the rudder fitting and trying to use a lower profile tiller with it.

I think it really boils down to how tight you can get your traveller. Crucial for getting the mainsheet blocks all the way leeward and getting good leech tension upwind.
 
CARBON FIBER ALL THE WAY! i bought a carbon tiller and worth every peny. no second thoughts except it would be cool to make my own! but its totaly worth the cash.
 

Back
Top