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Tiller bar length


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was just wondering the other day, what determines the length of the tiller bar?

are they standard sizes, or are they made to suit?

sometimes I feel ours is a bit too short, its a semi-trad rear and is not comfortable (for me) to stand in the doors and steer, so I am usually stood at the left of the tiller bar which obviously leaves you open to the bar being able to shove you in I guess.

thoughts?

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7 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

was just wondering the other day, what determines the length of the tiller bar?

are they standard sizes, or are they made to suit?

sometimes I feel ours is a bit too short, its a semi-trad rear and is not comfortable (for me) to stand in the doors and steer, so I am usually stood at the left of the tiller bar which obviously leaves you open to the bar being able to shove you in I guess.

thoughts?

I have had shares in 4 Ownerships boat over the years and at least two of them had two tiller bars to cater for the different preferences of husbands and wives. TYhe ones we had, I think, were off the shelf but there is nothing to stop you buying a longer one and having it cut to suit. The trouble is it is one more item to Brasso!

 

Howard

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Our tiller ends just short of the doors enabling me to steer in cold weather with the doors shut.  Any longer and the tiller would have to be higher to clear the doors when open or closed, which for me would be uncomfortable. 

Dscf3583resize.jpg

If you feel the brass tube is too short experiment with different lengths of wooden handle to save extra expense of buying a new tube.

 

Edited by Ray T
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3 minutes ago, dmr said:

The length should be limited such that on full swing it can not touch the side of the lock.

.................Dave

 

But it you have a longish rear deck that could put you in the ark of the tiller, we had that problem on a shared boat, the tiller just reached the rear door but would swing wide enough to catch the lock wall and it did. Knowing what I know now I would have just had two stops fitted to reduce the arc by a few degrees.

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3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But it you have a longish rear deck that could put you in the ark of the tiller, we had that problem on a shared boat, the tiller just reached the rear door but would swing wide enough to catch the lock wall and it did. Knowing what I know now I would have just had two stops fitted to reduce the arc by a few degrees.

Most tillers swing much more than they need to for ordinary boating when 45 degrees is about the limit, but its really good to be able to get the rudder right over and tucked in out of the way, especially when you are as long as we are. We had zero space in a couple of locks on the Stratford Avon so any stops would have made things very difficult. You could have removeable stops :D.

Our tiller is the correct length so should not hit the lock walls but there are still a few situations where we can (and have) get into trouble.

...............Dave

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16 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Tiller strings?

You beat me to it Ray, the old ways are the best ways in my experience.

One of the problems is that so many boats are not built properly nowadays where the rams head is too high or too low in relation to the cabin height - or the cabin height is too high for the practicalities of boating. Just take a look at an old working boat where the wooden handle of the tiller ends ends about level with the back cabin doors at about waist height (so about 2 inches above the cabin doors). This means the tiller is at a natural and comfortable height for the steerer, and if the back deck is long resulting in a long tiller then a tiller string will hold it in position when left unattended - the alternative being to take it off when in a lock :captain:

Edited by pete harrison
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11 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

You beat me to it Ray, the old ways are the best ways in my experience.

One of the problems is that so many boats are not built properly nowadays where the rams head is too high or too low in relation to the cabin height - or the cabin height is too high for the practicalities of boating. Just take a look at an old working boat where the wooden handle of the tiller ends ends about level with the back cabin doors at about waist height (so about 2 inches above the cabin doors). This means the tiller is at a natural and comfortable height for the steerer, and if the back deck is long resulting in a long tiller then a tiller string will hold it in position when left unattended - the alternative being to take it off when in a lock :captain:

Taking it off when in a lock is what I tend to do having seen a few others on working boats do this.  It means the tiller is safely out of the way and not going to catch on anything.

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1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

Taking it off when in a lock is what I tend to do having seen a few others on working boats do this.  It means the tiller is safely out of the way and not going to catch on anything.

I often leave the motor in gear (on tickover) when in a lock which will also hold the rudder / tiller straight, but when waiting below a lock for the butty (on tickover in reverse) I always remove it - partly for improved access and partly as it will swing with the flush of the lock emptying :captain:

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Looking around for pictures of either of ours......

This is slightly deceptive, as it is not lying straight along the boat in this picture, and does actually pass slightly over the top of the doors if shut.

IMG_3511.JPG

EDIT: And finally found one of the other boat.......

IMG_2001.JPG

 

This is perhaps clearer.......

IMG_3367.JPG

Edited by alan_fincher
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5 hours ago, pete harrison said:

I often leave the motor in gear (on tickover) when in a lock which will also hold the rudder / tiller straight, but when waiting below a lock for the butty (on tickover in reverse) I always remove it - partly for improved access and partly as it will swing with the flush of the lock emptying :captain:

Just a word of warning for those who might have their boat waiting in the lock tail of a downhill single lock when the paddles are opened, your boat will start moving backwards and accelerate quite alarmingly until stopped by the gates. I'd hate for some good Samaritan giving a tow to a broken down boater to come a cropper. Another example of why standing outside the hatch, and so in the arc of the tiller arm, is not a good idea.

Edited by colinwilks
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21 minutes ago, colinwilks said:

Just a word of warning for those who might have their boat waiting in the lock tail of a downhill single lock when the paddles are opened, your boat will start moving backwards and accelerate quite alarmingly until stopped by the gates. I'd hate for some good Samaritan giving a tow to a broken down boater to come a cropper. Another example of why standing outside the hatch, and so in the arc of the tiller arm, is not a good idea.

I guess that is why Pete had it running in reverse so hard against the gates 

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11 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I guess that is why Pete had it running in reverse so hard against the gates 

Absolutely. The point I was making is it's a dangerous situation because rather than sending the waiting boat off down the cut, which I think most people would expect, opening the paddles with your boat in a restricted lock tail will suck your boat back onto the bottom gates very forcefully. It's only when the lock has emptied that it tends to drift off, which is embarrassing if there's noone aboard!

 

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The force the boat gets pulled back is surprising, I managed to get s tiller pin wedged as I had removed the tiller but left the pub in the hole, the boat went back in to the gate and rode up ramming the tiller pin under one of the cross pieces on the gates.

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We had a hire boat from Shire Cruisers a couple of years back and they had deliberately put a short tiller bar on to reduce the risk of accidents, I really liked it as it gave much more space to move around the back of the boat without being within the sweep of the tiller arm.

20150620_174901.jpg.f6e2d9551182a8d973cf2c22cd22e0ec.jpg20150626_111133.jpg.3d76869762b97cf1d90945b3f0b24ccb.jpg

P1040839.JPG

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43 minutes ago, NickF said:

We had a hire boat from Shire Cruisers a couple of years back and they had deliberately put a short tiller bar on to reduce the risk of accidents, I really liked it as it gave much more space to move around the back of the boat without being within the sweep of the tiller arm.

20150620_174901.jpg.f6e2d9551182a8d973cf2c22cd22e0ec.jpg

 

I wonder if Shire Cruisers had an incident at some time? 

1513173_10152770214349022_6853830340699581828_n.jpg

Edited by Ray T
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2 minutes ago, Ray T said:

I wonder if Shire Cruisers had a incident at some time? 

Probably had a few bent in locks and bridgeholes, I adjusted mine on a previous boat with the latter. Length not so important on a moderately powered modern craft but wouldn't be much use on a historic boat or similar. 

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7 hours ago, Cheshire cat said:

I believe there was a new requirement to have the arc of the tiller drawn on the deck of any hireboat but I have yet to see one.

I seem to recall seeing a line on the deck of a Union Canal Carriers hire boat.

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My problem is my tiller arm is too long on my Cruiser stern so i will be shortening it shortly as i like to stand in front of the tiller and be able to reach the throttle on my left as i cannot use my right arm due to not having one :huh: not to the side of the tiller everyone to there own i suppose ;) 

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