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Tiller bar extension


plumbob

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Hi

Has anyone experience of adding tiller bar extension? To explain i would like to sit on either of the gas boxes right and left that are in front of the tiller when cruising.

A freind of mine has an ocean going yacht with flexible tiller extension that allows you to sit to the left or right in front of the tiller, it is fitted to the end of the tiller and folds underneath into a clip when not in use. This set up  would only be used when cruising along not at locks or sharp bends etc, but would be better than the current stool supplied with boat,  positioned between the tiller and the taff rail.

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I think you can just buy them or perhaps have one made. If I were doing it I think I'd probably make up something first with a couple of sections of broomstick handle and something for the elbow between to make sure the lengths were ok and the whole thing worked with the boat moored up.

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I have not seen a tiller extension for sale by any of the usual suspects.  Like most uncommon canal boaty things you will probably have to DIY.  A spare tiller handle in oak might provide a starting point.

 

Just to be pedantic  a canal boat tiller extension is known as a loodel.   They were used when carrying bulky cargo such as hay and enabled the steered to see over or round the cargo.

 

N

  • Greenie 1
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i took a gamble and bought the longest bar Midland had and an ash handle, which worked out perfect. long enough to stand inside where the doors would be (our semi-trad has none) but not so long as to hit the sides. much more comfortable to use we find. So now the boat has two options of tiller bar, one for those who like comfort, and one for those who refuse to try new things :D 

 

perhaps get a length of scaffold pole that will slide over to try different lengths until you hit the sweet spot, it won’t have the flex of a broom handle.

 

make sure when pushed fully over the bar cannot stick out of the boat profile and become dangerous on lock sides, several members here mentioned this when i was looking for longer tiller bars a while back.

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I made a 'universal joint' rather like the dinghy extensions except it slid back and forth. I had a separate piece of steel tube that it fitted into, and my normal tiller arm fitted on the other end. With the joint slid back, it was a rigid tiller arm, and if you wanted some normal steering a bit more off centre, then pulling the tiller opened up the joint and you could articulate  it back to increase the swing, then pull it straight and push back to rigid. This enabled me to stand in the hatch of a cruiser stern some 8ft long. It was effective, but cumbersome and needed storing when not in use. A quilted tractor suit became a much better option.

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I think it is sensible to avoid such attachments on canals. The dinghy style extensions are safe enough on open water but a tiller can be very dangerous especially if the the rudder strikes an obstruction while moving astern (reversing). It is therefore important to make sure that the tiller is free to swing with sufficient clearance for the steerer to avoid being struck (by a sudden and unexpected movement of the tiller arm) and thrown overboard.

I know of at least one such occurrence where someone died.

  • Greenie 1
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A yacht or dinghy will be set up to turn to windward and stop sailing. Failsafe. Yacht tiller extensions rely on the fact that the boat is balanced, does not require muscleman to steer. The extensions are relatively light in construction.

A narrowboat is not balanced, it sometimes needs two hands, it can't be left to steer itself. 

I have considered a lifting type of extension to ensure tiller can't hit the lock sides, but at the moment, I steer from the trad stern, and that sometimes needs two hands.

 

14 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

How about a screw on extension like a snooker cue?

I assumed he meant a hinged affair, as used in sailing, not a fixed, in line extension to the tiller, which is just a longer tiller.

Edited by LadyG
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4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I assumed he meant a hinged affair, as used in sailing, nit an extension to the tiller, which is just a longer tiller.

 

must be popular as mostly out of stock, i get a strange pain in my back pocket area when looking at those prices though :D 

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/search?query=tiller+hinge

 

 

 

 

hinge.jpg

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On 12/04/2021 at 10:19, Hudds Lad said:

 

 

perhaps get a length of scaffold pole that will slide over to try different lengths until you hit the sweet spot, it won’t have the flex of a broom handle.

 

 

I'd use a piece of aluminium tube rather than scaff - much lighter!

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