Question Traveler and Carbon Tiller Question

klin0295

klin0295

New Member
So last winter I picked up a new Rooster "Standard" Carbon Tiller (Not the ILCA one) and I also spliced a new traveler for my 2001 Vanguard Laser. The Traveler is New England ropes STS-WR2 (I had read that those don't stretch and are resistant to wear). My previous set up it replaced was the stock vanguard aluminum tiller and a Vectran traveler.

I didn't get out much this past summer, but I noticed with tacking and gybing, the traveler block really gets hung up on the tiller. Something that really didn't happen as frequently with my aluminum one. I was under the impression that with the lower profile carbon tillers the traveler blocks move over the tiller much easier. With my traveler I try to get it as tight as possible as well. It even gets hung up on the tiller in heavier breeze as well.

I am just wondering, if this is a product of the "no stretch" STS-WR2 traveler and I should go back to something like Vectran? Or is it the tiller? It looks like the tiller sits really high above the traveler cleat. Or a combination of both? I feel I need to put downward pressure on the tiller to get the blocks to hop over. Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.

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Could be both. That tiller does sit on the high side, so the ”low” model Rooster might have been a better choice after all. But as Steve himself says, there’s enough material at the aft end to shape it so that the tiller lies at a nice angle. (You may need to add material as well as take some off.)

You may also have gone too far with the traveller - the WR2 is marketed as a ”wire rope replacement” for standing rigging and lifelines! The line has to stretch at least a tiny bit for the traveller block to pass the tiller.

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LaLi said:
Could be both. That tiller does sit on the high side, so the ”low” model Rooster might have been a better choice after all. But as Steve himself says, there’s enough material at the aft end to shape it so that the tiller lies at a nice angle. (You may need to add material as well as take some off.)

You may also have gone too far with the traveller - the WR2 is marketed as a ”wire rope replacement” for standing rigging and lifelines! The line has to stretch at least a tiny bit for the traveller block to pass the tiller.

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Thanks for the reply!

To shape the tiller what would you recommend? Course sand paper and then to add material just a 2 part epoxy?
 
I’ve used a fine- to medium coarse file, but I believe you’ll need to remove more material than I’ve had.

Never had to add anything either, but any material that doesn’t compress too much should do. These things have been fine-tuned with pieces of beverage cans :D

Have you measured how much the tiller head should be reshaped?

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LaLi said:
I’ve used a fine- to medium coarse file, but I believe you’ll need to remove more material than I’ve had.

Never had to add anything either, but any material that doesn’t compress too much should do. These things have been fine-tuned with pieces of beverage cans :D

Have you measured how much the tiller head should be reshaped?

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I was able to adjust it using sand paper, I basically adjusted the aft end on the upper portion and the forward end of the lower portion to rotate the tiller downward. There is a bit of space between the rudder head and the forward end of the upper portion as well as the aft portion of the lower. So I will add some epoxy to those parts to give it a more intimate fit so there is no ability to move the tiller in the rudder head.

Again, thank you so much for your help!!!
 
Every boat, rudder, and tiller combo are slightly different. It seems to be a combination of different stern angles, and levels of wear on the tiller. I personally sand and use epoxy to make a firm fit with the correct angle. You could take some 60 grit and a sanding block and get the angle correct. You want the tiller to be sitting about 1 in over cleat when you press downwards. It looks to be more like 3 inchs.
 
laser166131 said:
Every boat, rudder, and tiller combo are slightly different. It seems to be a combination of different stern angles, and levels of wear on the tiller. I personally sand and use epoxy to make a firm fit with the correct angle. You could take some 60 grit and a sanding block and get the angle correct. You want the tiller to be sitting about 1 in over cleat when you press downwards. It looks to be more like 3 inchs.
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I found an interesting article from Southeast Sailboats and Micky Beckett says it should be no less than 8mm from bottom of tiller to top of traveler cleat, that seems too low in my eyes. I feel the tiller would be very likely to run into the traveler cleat when tacking.

I was able to get it down much shorter (20mm) and I feel that when I bring the traveler blocks across the tiller by hand, they hop over much more easily.

(I would link the article but as a "new user" I can't link it, go to southeast sailboats website, then the tillers page then click on "this article")
 
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