Thread: tiller extensions

It works, but after the direct control of a solid connection, you might
find the rope connection sloppy. I do anyway. It needs to be a bit slack to
allow the wide range of angles a tiller extension gets swung through.
These old-style swivels are hard to beat. Racelite Tiller Extension Swivel
Is there any way you can adapt the battlestick mount to an extension more to
your liking?

This is one I made recently. The tiller is a mahogany and pine laminate (vertical) with a Ronstan extension swivel, which I prefer to the RaceLite unit. Note the extension stick (also solid mahogany) is curved to match the tiller so it lays down nice an neat when clipped into it's "keeper". There's an oak ball on the end of the extension so it offers a hand hold.

The photos are lousy resolution, but you should be able to make it out. The pine portions of the laminate are tapered, so the tiller arm can decrease in dimension without having to grind back the mahogany veneers (about 7 - 8 mm thick). You should just be able to make this out in the second image.

There's also a auto release jam cleat for the rudder blade down haul (kickup style rudder), mounted just aft of the folded back extension stick.

Not shown in the photos is a length of 1/4" (6 mm) single braid line that was wrapped around the end of the tiller arm, for a soft grip.

Funny... I was hunting thru the Ronstan on-line cattledog the other day for
one of these. Couldn't find one - figured they must have stopped making them
in favour of the polyurethane flex couplings & Battlesticks. Looks a much
better finished item.
My boat's previous owner put together this rather elaborate affair from what
appears to be a cut-down Ronstan swivel. I think it will work well - he was a
mechanical engineer before he retired. Got seduced by wood carving & turning
part-way through the restoration & didn't get around to finishing the boat...
The wooden woggle next to the swivel conceals a spring-button lock for
extending the extension.
cheers
AJ

If you place the extension on top of the tiller you'll be less likely to kick and snag it during tacks. Also that contraption you've posted AJ is a bit ungainly and seems to have way too many pieces and bits to suit my needs (no offense intended).

My initial inclination was to fully agree Paul.
What that pic doesn't show is that the end of the tiller where the extension
attaches is a rotating button. The extension always points at the mid-line of
the tiller. The extension could be stowed anywhere around the circumference
of the tiller. The more I looks at it, the more I likes it. As I wrote earlier, the
previous owner was a mech eng who got seduced into wood carving in his
retirement. The more time I spend with this boat, the more I'm impressed at
the logical thinking behind the things he's made. Totally uneconomical.
Lovely to hold, and behold.

The real proof of course will be in the using, but that is likely to be a coupla
years away. I need to raise the cabin roof to accommodate my noggin. I think
I also want to convert it to a two masted beastie (in tabernacle) to overcome
off-the-wind weather helm, and reduce the amount of expensive s/s hardware
needed to make it go.
cheers
Alan J

Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

Funny... I was hunting thru the Ronstan on-line cattledog the other day for
one of these. Couldn't find one - figured they must have stopped making them
in favour of the polyurethane flex couplings & Battlesticks. Looks a much
better finished item.
My boat's previous owner put together this rather elaborate affair from what
appears to be a cut-down Ronstan swivel. I think it will work well - he was a
mechanical engineer before he retired. Got seduced by wood carving & turning
part-way through the restoration & didn't get around to finishing the boat...
The wooden woggle next to the swivel conceals a spring-button lock for
extending the extension.
cheers
AJ

Re.Polyurethane coupling.My Ronstan battlestick has one.it gains a "memory" and wants to stay pointing in one direction.It'll suit a tupperware boat no doubt but I wanted something in keeping with a ts16's feel.I will check out the tiller extention pivots at marine store.I'll check at sailing club to see if any member wants a spare "stick".and make my own.Thanks for the advice .

Ronstan part RF-1127 is a polished stainless steal part and well built. The tiller retainer clip is PVC and intended for small, typically aluminum tubing extensions.

The BattleStick part is a plastic ball and socket sort of thing, again designed for the aluminum tubing extensions. It's a dinghy part and not up to the task of bigger boat loads, but part number RF-1127 can handle much higher amounts of torque.

This particular element (tiller extension coupling) doesn't have to be sophisticated. It can be as simple as two eye bolts attached on each piece (tiller and extension) and tied together with a ring, shackle, bit of line, etc.

Hi Paul
I reckon a couple of eye bolts tied together comes back to the original question,
which is whether a bit of rope tying the two together works.
Yes it works, but feels sloppy compared with a "proper" swivel.
Makes sense to go cheap in a cheap boat like a PDR or smaller examples of the Bolger / Payson Instant Boat series, like my Teal.
However, *in my opinion* for the better boat, the better fitting is worth the extra shekels.
cheers
AJ

Agreed AJ, also skipper's interest and skill level are variables in the mix too. Even though I've been playing with winged craft of late, my general sailing habits have "matured" over the years and I'm not after every ounce of drive as much as propping my feet up on the leeward bench and cracking open another cold one, before I have to tack again.

A casual skipper or a novice wouldn't really have an issue with a length of cord for an extension swivel. Personally, I don't like the mushy feel, but I could get use to it after a few beers.

Originally Posted by PAR

Agreed AJ, also skipper's interest and skill level are variables in the mix too. Even though I've been playing with winged craft of late, my general sailing habits have "matured" over the years and I'm not after every ounce of drive as much as propping my feet up on the leeward bench and cracking open another cold one, before I have to tack again.

A casual skipper or a novice wouldn't really have an issue with a length of cord for an extension swivel. Personally, I don't like the mushy feel, but I could get use to it after a few beers.

Ok so I'm both a novice and more interested in quiet cruising with the wife than race.Rope is cheap and so are a couple of stainless eye bolts.I can try them all and see how i go.

Originally Posted by PAR

Agreed AJ, also skipper's interest and skill level are variables in the mix too. Even though I've been playing with winged craft of late, my general sailing habits have "matured" over the years and I'm not after every ounce of drive as much as propping my feet up on the leeward bench and cracking open another cold one, before I have to tack again.

A casual skipper or a novice wouldn't really have an issue with a length of cord for an extension swivel. Personally, I don't like the mushy feel, but I could get use to it after a few beers.

Aye. But I find it mildly irritating until after that second beer.

Actually, having exclusively used a bit of 3mm Dyneema for the last 10 years,
it mostly doesn't bother me at all. Except straight after I use a proper swivel
on someone else's boat. Then, it really feels sloppy...

What is more irritating, but which I keep forgetting to do something about, is
the lack of a stowage clip for my 15mm electrical conduit tiller extension.
More an issue in transit & when not sailing. Because I am so large, and Teal
is soooooo small, I **have** to sit mid-ships. Because the rudder is some
5 1/2 feet away from mid-ships, I **have** to use the tiller extension pretty
much all the time. Except when I tie the tiller off.
A 'proper' swivel keeps the extension under some control when not stowed.
The rope connector permits it a mind of its own when not actually in-hand.
That first 30 feet when leaving shore, and the last 30 feet when returning.
Hands are busy doing other things - dagger-board, sheet, beer can, etc...

Its mind, and my mind...

Let's just say, they are not at one...

cheers
AJ