Tiller and daggerboard questions

Edward Teach

New Member
Are the wood tillers still being made? I couldn't find the wood tillers at Sunfish direct or APS. Also what legth should the tiller be? As for the daggerboard I use a bungee with the brummel hooks, and thread it through the bow handle and around the mast then through the foward hole on the dagger board, is this correct? If so, what is a dagger board retainer line used for that I saw in a rigging guide? Could someone post some pictures?

Thanks,
Edward
 
As far as I know, the Sunfish builder has closed its wood shop and is no longer making wood Sunfish parts of any kind. If you need a new wood tiller handle, you will need to find a dealer who still has one in stock, buy a used part here on the Forum, or e-bay (watch out for junk) or make one using an existing tiller handle as a template. White ash is the tiller wood of choice but white oak will also suffice. The new aluminum tillers are nice but rather expensive.

Racers tend to run the daggerboard shock cord from the board to the junction of the boom and gaff. This keeps the board in place and also help pull the sail out when sailing on a broad reach or run.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
As for the daggerboard I use a bungee with the brummel hooks, and thread it through the bow handle and around the mast then through the foward hole on the dagger board, is this correct? If so, what is a dagger board retainer line used for that I saw in a rigging guide? Could someone post some pictures?

Thanks,
Edward

You can rig the shock cord (bungee) as you described. In fact, that's the way I have mine right now. But Alan's way appears to be the preferred one used by racers because one can use the shock cord to keep the rig out (at 90 degrees) when going downwind in light air while heeling the boat to windward to keep a neutral helm.

Either way, there's no need for another retaining line to keep the board with the boat in a capsize. But you do need a way to keep the rig with the boat. Typically, the halyard is used for that, tied to the cleat on the deck.
 
I was at the LP factory store today, and asked about tillers. They stopped making wooden tillers some time ago and now only make aluminum ones.
 

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