Originally Posted by
paulie
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
For me, it has very little to do with where I sit when sailing. It has a lot more to do with things like:
-- where my wife sits when I row. Best if she sits on the floor, leaning against the aft seat, so I can tuck my feet under her knees. For her to be centered, keeping the boat flat, we have to pull the rudder clear of the water.
-- where the tiller and extension go when tacking. It's really nice to be able to lift the tiller over a head, knee, or whatever else may be in the way at the moment. Sure, maybe that body part shouldn't be in the way. But not everyone who gets on the boat is an experienced sailor. More fun for the uninitiated if you aren't constantly saying "get out of the way" or "sorry about that bruise".
-- where people sit when they don't want to sit on the floor. I may want to take my mom for a row. She's going to assume that a seat can be used for, well, sitting. And she's not going to want to sit on the sandy, puddly floor. It would be nice to give her room on that rear seat without having to pull the tiller box off. (That's also part of my motivation for moving the traveler further back.)
My experience with fold-up tillers is all from small boats, not big ones (which tend to have wheels anyway). Small boat cockpits are always crowded. Being able to lift the tiller out of the way makes a huge difference. I've never sailed a small boat that didn't allow the tiller to lift up in some way.