Onionman Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Mrs Onionman is significantly shorter than I am and suffers arm strain when she's steering us as her hand is up nearer shoulder level than waist level. We're considering having a tiller bar for her with an S bend in it. Does anyone have experience of this. We have plenty of good engineering firms around who should be able to do it; just wondering if anyone's done similar and if there are any drawbacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 5 minutes ago, Onionman said: Mrs Onionman is significantly shorter than I am and suffers arm strain when she's steering us as her hand is up nearer shoulder level than waist level. We're considering having a tiller bar for her with an S bend in it. Does anyone have experience of this. We have plenty of good engineering firms around who should be able to do it; just wondering if anyone's done similar and if there are any drawbacks. I have seen aSwan Neck with two tiller stubs about 6" above each other but can't find the photo at the moment but like this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Box? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alias Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Onionman said: We're considering having a tiller bar for her with an S bend in it. Does anyone have experience of this. We have plenty of good engineering firms around who should be able to do it; just wondering if anyone's done similar and if there are any drawbacks. Our old share boat had a second tiller bar with two right angle joints in it to lower it (by a few inches) for the shorter owners. I noticed that the geometry magnified the little bit of play between bar and swan neck, but it seemed to work well enough for those that wanted to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 16 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said: Box? Got to admit that step/box was my first thought. I think @blackrose does exactly that on his boat. If it works, it works. There's no point in being uncomfortable whilst steering the boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 (edited) Being of shorter stature I stand on this Box. The box also holds goat chains, some tools and other useful items. Tiller adapter. Edited September 3, 2020 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted September 4, 2020 Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 10 hours ago, Ray T said: Being of shorter stature I stand on this Box. The box also holds goat chains, some tools and other useful items. Tiller adapter. Tha's a great solution (IMO). Saves taking the tiller off to weld something on and looks reasonably easy to make. We're lucky in that we live in the country (where birds shout and Coos poo) hence there is a blacksmith around to make things. Probably more difficult in an urban environment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onionman Posted September 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 Thanks for all the ideas. The step idea is a good one as Mrs Onionman has trouble seeing the front of the boat. However, a step would cause a major problem, namely that if I were crossing the empty vastness of the Sahara on foot, I'd trip over a coffee table. I'm so clumsy it's unbelievable. Add a step to the back of the boat and I'd be over the side before you could say "Don't trip over the st". It's a shared boat so welding an extra tube, while a fine idea, is not going to happen. I'll post whatever we end up with. Thanks again, all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted September 6, 2020 Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 8 minutes ago, Onionman said: It's a shared boat so welding an extra tube, while a fine idea, is not going to happen. Show a metalworker the image in the post above yours and ask him to make the top bit a sliding fit over the tiller, and the bottom bit to be a hinged clamp that you can tighten with a wingnut. Bingo! No welding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onionman Posted September 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 16 minutes ago, WotEver said: Show a metalworker the image in the post above yours and ask him to make the top bit a sliding fit over the tiller, and the bottom bit to be a hinged clamp that you can tighten with a wingnut. Bingo! No welding. Got it. Like that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted September 6, 2020 Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 On 03/09/2020 at 20:30, Onionman said: >> We're considering having a tiller bar for her with an S bend in it. Does anyone have experience of this. We have plenty of good engineering firms around who should be able to do it; just wondering if anyone's done similar and if there are any drawbacks. The only drawback I can think of is that it would annoy the purists if it was steel and not shiny yellow metal. If you have a tiller with a 'Z' kink in it, the tiller pin will hold it quite happily, so get your local tin basher to fabricate one. I suggest you then paint it in a vivid colour, preferably one that clashes violently with the boat livery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted September 6, 2020 Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 2 hours ago, Onionman said: Thanks for all the ideas. The step idea is a good one as Mrs Onionman has trouble seeing the front of the boat. However, a step would cause a major problem, namely that if I were crossing the empty vastness of the Sahara on foot, I'd trip over a coffee table. I'm so clumsy it's unbelievable. Add a step to the back of the boat and I'd be over the side before you could say "Don't trip over the st". Plasterer's stilts for Onionwoman ... She can see over the boat and you won't trip over a step! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightwatch Posted September 6, 2020 Report Share Posted September 6, 2020 25 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said: Plasterer's stilts for Onionwoman ... She can see over the boat and you won't trip over a step! Avoid low bridges though eh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam & Di Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 13 hours ago, TheBiscuits said: Plasterer's stilts for Onionwoman ... She can see over the boat and you won't trip over a step! 6" heels. ?? Tam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 (edited) 21 hours ago, Onionman said: Thanks for all the ideas. The step idea is a good one as Mrs Onionman has trouble seeing the front of the boat. However, a step would cause a major problem, namely that if I were crossing the empty vastness of the Sahara on foot, I'd trip over a coffee table. I'm so clumsy it's unbelievable. Add a step to the back of the boat and I'd be over the side before you could say "Don't trip over the st". It's a shared boat so welding an extra tube, while a fine idea, is not going to happen. I'll post whatever we end up with. Thanks again, all. You could get some stilts for the missus, however she would have to be careful not to trip over them when she takes them off ??? Damn, The Biscuits got there first. Teach me to read all of the thread before responding. Edited September 7, 2020 by cuthound To add the last paragraph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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