Shock cord

[Bill Mac]

There are probably other names for this, but I am interested in how it is rigged. I sail a 16' wood lapstrake sloop and it sounds like what I need when I have to leave the tiller to tend to something out of reach. Appreciate your responses, as usual.

[Thorne]

Various names for various systems. Most of the time they won't work on boats that size, as going forward changes the whole balance and trim of the boat enough to throw it off course if the tiller is tied/locked in place. "Don't ask me how I know this"...:)

If I need to go forward in small sailing boats, I usually point it up into the wind and get it to nearly stall -- then hurry forward and work rapidly. In strong winds there isn't much that works, in my experience, so I don't try it.

I used the commercial "Tiller Tamer" on my San Juan 21 for this purpose, but even on that larger and heavier boat it was only good for perhaps 60 seconds before I'd have to rush aft and correct the course.

No need for it to be shock cord or elastic, regular line will work nearly as well. The main issue is how to lock and release the lines -- gotta be quick both ways.

[Uncle Duke]

One simple method is to have a line (shock cord or regular) which is longer than the distance from one side of the cockpit to the other. Put a small cleat (or something) on each side.
Run the line from one cleat to the tiller where you wrap it several times, then off to the other cleat. You can then adjust the angle of the tiller by twisting the wrap - which moves the tiller relative to the line - until you have it in the position you want.
Release is just a matter of casting off either end of the line.
Simple, cheap, and moderately effective.
Thorne's caveats about trim changes are spot-on - you won't have much time on a small boat, and locking in the tiller will just minimize course wobble, not eliminate it.

[David G]

Various names for various systems. Most of the time they won't work on boats that size, as going forward changes the whole balance and trim of the boat enough to throw it off course if the tiller is tied/locked in place. "Don't ask me how I know this"...:)

If I need to go forward in small sailing boats, I usually point it up into the wind and get it to nearly stall -- then hurry forward and work rapidly. In strong winds there isn't much that works, in my experience, so I don't try it.

I used the commercial "Tiller Tamer" on my San Juan 21 for this purpose, but even on that larger and heavier boat it was only good for perhaps 60 seconds before I'd have to rush aft and correct the course.

No need for it to be shock cord or elastic, regular line will work nearly as well. The main issue is how to lock and release the lines -- gotta be quick both ways.

Here's what I use. It's a Huntingford Helm Impeder. Design stolen from the British Dinghy Cruising Assn. Cost me less than $10 in parts, is adjustable through a wide range of tensions, releases and adjusts in a trice, and stows easily and quickly.

No fotos, but here's a link with a sketch:

http://www.dca.uk.com/articles/himpeder.htm

Cheers,

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
Just a quick caution over the use of shockcord (anywhere) -- the rubber from which it's made decomposes over time (faster in regions with high UV,) so you need to be prepared to replace it in due course. Here I suppose we might get about four seasons from it before it starts to perish.

Mike

[Don Maurer]

I got an adjustable bungee cord with plastic hooks on both ends at Lowes. I siezed a loop in the center to go over the tiller and fasten the hooks between the sternsheets. The bungee can be lengthened or shortened at either hook by jamming it in a tapered slot. It works well enough to keep the rudder relatively centered while rowing to and from shore to open water.