Really enjoyed this conversion video, well explained and great craftsmanship with your available tools.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks ever so much, Anne!

I built my 36' and my cockpit layout was much more comfortable using a tiller as you have. Besides it has that old world charm. Happy Sailing and don't let the Sirens get ya!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! Yep, definitely feels right :)

Wow! To produce that lovely tiller in the heat of Greece without much in the way of tools is amazing. And all the heat reflected back from a concrete dock!! Respect!! I just wish I could have lent you my router - it would have saved you at least a day!!! :-) Speaking from experience there is something particularly enjoyable about making a tiller - a pleasure shared by thousands of sailors through the ages. Well done!!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Andy! 😊 It was a lovely project to work on 😊

So.e hard work making the new Tiller well done ,

That is one long tiller very relabel and they have a good feel. All three of my boats had tillers and they were smaller boats.

Beautiful work, especially for tools on hand. Thanks so much for sharing, now I have another project in mind for my 30' sloop.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Ann, yes it was a really rewarding project, making a tiller is more like sculpting than carpentry, fitting the form to your hand and the boat's lines.

Superb job on the tiller, it's going to look really good when you get some colour and some wear and tear on the wood. My father did something similar many years ago on his yacht and I still remember feeling the thrumming of the tiller when we were heeled over hard.

I usually like the videos with you sailing best. But as a “wood guy”, I liked this one.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Yay! Thank you 😊

Really enjoyed the detail on the tiller build! Well done!!!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Yeeepeee! 😊

Top job on the tiller guys !!

Conversion to tiller stearing,Ithink a good decision

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Peter :) we're happy with it so far.

Great to see how it was done guys, very clever. Looks so smart, and loved all that new cockpit space for beer drinking and star gazing!xx

Lovely craftsmanship on the tiller, the cockpit looks much more usable. Hope you are OK Elena. Thanks for sharing the video! X

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Hanne, yes Elena is fine, routine stuff. Glad you enjoyed the vid and thanks for commenting :)

Great modification guys, I’m sure it will make sailing Skua a different experience feeling the weather helm and vibrations through the tiller. Nice job given the limited tools. I kept thinking if only you had access to a hand plane and a spoke shave you would have saved lots of time but you made do and ended up with a lovely tiller. Look forward to the Turks head knot, long time sine I did one of those on my old Silhouette. Fair winds. Andy UK

After having had sailboats with tillers and wheel : We found the wheel with an autopilot was our favorite set up , especially with a small crew (2 ) . I know many traditionalist might disagree as there are many fine boats with tiller steering . smooth sailing be with you !

That Tiller came out great. Sure opens up the cockpit area.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Fredrick, yep it's transformed the cockpit more than the pictures / video captures :)

Excellent job on the tiller!!!

Wow good job 👌

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Great job with the tools at hand.

That is some tiller! Wow!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Mark!

Great job on the tiller!

Nice one! I removed the wheel on my Bowman 46 and put the tiller back. Less to go wrong plus more space in the cockpit and better feel.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Nice, Bowmans are great boats, we made friends with a couple on a 42 who had taken it to Australia and back via Alaska from Europe, was a lovely boat and really capable.

Looks great l have agreed with the idea sense you first mentioned it now to see if you really like it cool👍👍

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

We love it so far :)

Great job Ryan , with limited tools too . Brill

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Jon! Yep a carpentry shop would have made it easier and faster but I think the end result would have been the same, so we're really pleased with it :)

Nice job on the tiller ///

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers! 🙂

one of the most intelligent moves ive seen on you tube in a while. well done! if the swing radius of the tiller becomes an issue one can always get a sturdy hinge with a locking mechanism and half the size of it.

Very interesting to see you make the tiller Ryan. You work wonders with the tools at your disposal. I loved this video.

Nicely done with limited tools :)

Brilliant, you tied up in exactly the same spot we did when we were waiting out the medicane for 12 days in September 2018.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Nice! Was it comfy in the strong winds?

@SailingABSea

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake yes because we were also side to and the wind was blowing is off the concrete quay. Taking the dinghy into town for beer and wine was a different story. Hahahaha

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Haha that was a wet ride even in the gentlest breeze! Over the bridge you go...

Nice tiller😍

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much Dawn!

nice job on the tiller. I was raised on a 48 foot ketch that only had a tiller. Our craft was built in indian point maine in 1910. Interesting how after many years of insisting on wheels I note that many going to sea rely on a nice long stout tiller. Godspeed

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bruce, a 1910 ketch sounds interesting - is she still afloat? Lots of the big heavy old workboats had a (very long) tiller too, like the pilot cutters. Just need to balance the sails and use a block and tackle on it in stronger winds if you're hand steering, which I guess you did on the ketch?

@brucef5874

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake My father was sheridan Fahnestock he and his brother bruce (google fahnestock south sea expedition) I can remember one time on the Chesapeake we got into a white squall it took three of us on the tiller to keep her running

Great job with just a couple tools and elbow grease! Sure is a long tiller!

Cool job, well done, seems the larger boat was really the way to go, see you eventually in NZ

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers!

Hi From New Zealand. I love your videos having just finally caught up from vid one to this no 75! In my humble opinion your videos are the best on youtube for sailing reality. Not some created dream false reality. Your content is excellent and very educational and down to earth. I used to dream of catamarans but now thinking about the simplicity and availability of the Mono hulls might be more sensible. About the anti roll setup, try a bucket hung over the side, out off the pole end, so that as she rolls the bucket or two or three get lifted out of the water.. that extra weight getting lifted at the end of the pole should reduce the movement somewhat. All the best. Have fun. Good luck. Love to watch your journey. Thank you very much for all your hard work to show us your life style and all the things that happen. I admire the skill you both have. Take care see you soon, lol, Jeff.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Wow! Thanks ever so much, Jeff! Best of luck finding the right boat for you. PS the bucket trick doesn't work, at least not with a heavy displacement boat like ours.

Well done sir.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Why thank you!

A job well done I'd say. I'd also comment that as I saw it the bolts you used were a bit too short. A couple of threads should be showing out of the nut, even nylocs. Of course, you might have tightened the nuts up a bit more afterwards. Have a nice trip to Malta. I'll be watching.

My double ender came with a spare tiller one of these days i will give it a try.

Lovely, that's art. As for grip whipping the twine/fine rope of your choice would give nice grip in the wet. Whatever you do - don't varnish, epoxy the thing and be done with it. Or like you said, oil or wax, but that would make epoxying later on a hassle, epoxy is wonderful for minimal maintenance and maximum protection. Oh' Mummy needs to makes a spiffy cover for the new baby, to keep the sun/weather off at anchor!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Haha epoxy will yellow in the sun sadly, but epoxy with varnish over could be a go-er. For things out of the salt spray, woodskin oil/varnish hybrid works pretty well, not the shine of varnish but really easy to get an acceptable finish.

@justme.9711

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake Shocked and saddened [ borderline heartbroken], I thought using a fiberglass resin would w.e.s.t. it and be the best by far, what a bumma. Is it the polyester Vs nylon or whatever factor? Either way, you know best and it's a lovely job. You can always put it off for a while until it's had some sea trial time - Congratulations on a beautiful thing.

Well done! I learned to sail aboard a Valiant 40 that had a tiller -- a great boat and the tiller was a dream. It can be a bit tiring when hard on the wind for any length of time, but I still prefer a tiller to a wheel. I now own a Hans Christian 33, which has wheel steering. The pedestal and wheel take up considerable room in the cockpit; however, a tiller conversion might not be feasible because of the extant mainsheet traveller set up and so forth. Looking forward to your next sail and to learn how the tiller handles SKUA in a breeze.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Jim, yes the tiller can take a little more physical effort but a block and tackle are really useful, triple the force of your arm and allow you to sit back on the coaming. But the reality for us is that we rarely hand steer - maybe if you were racing or daysailing it'd be more of a consideration. HC33 is a real beauty, great choice!

Agree with ' anne winning ' , " Really enjoyed this conversion video, well explained and great craftsmanship with your available tools. " Make do with what you have and what you know !

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Richard, really appreciate the nice comment.

Free marina ! Yes please.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Always a bonus 😁

Nice job with the tiller Ryan especially in the hot and primitively working conditions! That's a bit of a widow maker but should do the trick. One refinement we did years ago in a similar tiller we changed on a boat where it could not pivot on the head was to put a hinge at about the back of the coctpit. This allowed flipping up for more space and also we found for steering while standing up and maneuvering in harbors. A possibility if you need it sometime in the future! I think we have modified or replaced every tiller steered boat we have had! Cheers Warren

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Warren, ours pivots up, like you say great for flipping it out of the way at anchor, or to stand up for better visibility when docking. Hoping to find a way to have it flipped up under way for longer passages when we're using the wind vane, but not sure where to tie it off.

That's an amazing job with your limited tools, I couldn't do any better with my full workshop.

Good work on the tiller, when you started cutting with the multi tool I thought no chance mate, but it looked bloody good in the end! :-)

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Haha thanks! Yep that was a painful way to cut that iroko but it got there in the end :)

@edbourgoine5022

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake Well done! I am looking at my multitool with a new respect after seeing what you did. A spoke shave or block plane would be a great addition to your tool kit for any jobs like this, although you seemed to manage just fine with what you had.

Nice job with such a limited tool inventory. We’ve been considering the same conversion on our Tayana 37. Getting out from behind the wheel in such a confined foot well is a bloody nuisance, as you Brits would say. On the other hand, I think you will miss the wheel in heavy weather conditions. Popeye’s forearms didn’t get that huge by accident! You also have to be very careful with a tiller during storms. I knew a guy who got caught out in a big storm while crossing the Atlantic a while back. A big wave hit him from the stern, knocked the tiller out of his grip, and then swung back and hit him in the chest, breaking several ribs. Not a good situation to be in, to put it mildly! -Dayton Eckerson Tayana 37 TRAVELER, Chesapeake Bay, USA

14:14 Dude that does sound like going for a sail! *builds half a boat with a green series Bosch toy and a spoon knife instead - between washing all those dishes, in upright position of course, because Skua ... 😄 I am positively impressed. Cruising still seems to educate its people: make the best out of next-to-nothing and a little bit of the spared time You do not waste on employers. Well done!

Elena.....when you were leaving the Isle of Silly, you were watching the monohulls bobbing up and down in the swell. And you words were “ Monohulls not for me!!!” Hhmmm. 🤪😜😁😎🇳🇿

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Haha! To be fair, rolling at anchor still isn't my favourite thing ;) But Skua is special :) I put up with it because she's great most of the time :)

@Pete-qo7bv

4 жыл бұрын

Sailing Kittiwake How do you find out about places like an abandond marina?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Other cruisers, forums, the Navily app, cruising guides, Navionics, ... :)

Great job and very well explained as per your usual style. I found, (via advice from a professional), that the secret to drilling stainless is being able to put a lot of pressure on the drill bit and using a slow drill speed. Not easy with a hand drill. A drill press or pillar drill is the ideal option whereupon one wonders what was the problem.

Is there an issue with water getting in through that now uncapped point in the deck where the fitting attaches? Two suggestions come to mind: Add a safety line at the back so the tiller never can pop out and be lost. Add a small cleat halfway along the tiller to make it easier to secure an anti-swing line to both sides of the boat. You are going to enjoy all that freed up cockpit space. Nice work.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Calcite, not really as it's under the solar panel, but I might make a canvas boot for it. The grub screws that hold it tight against the top of the rudder post hold it firmly on so there's no need for anything to keep it on. I do like the idea of having a cleat on the tiller for ease but wonder if it would weaken it and things would get snagged on it. We'll see how we get on with a clove hitch for now and then think about it.

Get yourself a set of HSS COBALT drill bits, they're fine for stainless at a fraction of the cost of TC (tungsten carbide) bits, they're also a lot more durable, I've drilled literally thousands of holes in SS tubing, plate and flat bars, another suggestion is getting a rubber backing pad and sanding disks for a 115 or 125 mm angle grinder instead of chiseling and sanding that hard wood, bloody marvellous marina, free is always good

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

I was using cobalts

Nice bit of handy work looks great Off to Corfu on the 3rd of feb looks like I bought a boat subject to survey lol Fingers crossed

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Ooooh how exciting! What is she? We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you.

@ianrix4442

4 жыл бұрын

Hi guys it’s a moody 376 if it all works out I hope to sail her back to Australia one day

@ianrix4442

4 жыл бұрын

I just love that boat of yours though I’ve watched all the hard work you have put into it

Maybe you could use the pedestal base and post. Paint it nice and put a cockpit table on it. :) Great job on the tiller with basic tools!

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Sonny, at the moment we're enjoying having the whole cockpit open but possibly - could also mount a compass on it.

that's a very pretty job as always the one you did with the tiller, i'd always go for a wheel but i loved to see a different point of view on the matter, i look forward to see it in action! The only one thing is that i think the parts where the wood pushes against the metal when the tiller is fully down or fully up are gonna get ruined and deformed real quick, maybe a simple little metal plate on the back would do the job, or the same plastic you used for the sides? I also thought at a more complex system adding a hole in the back metal plate with a little metal head pushed by a little spring (that could even be welded inside) that goes into place and block the tiller in the up or down position (pretty difficult to explain it here) Anyway love how Ryan think and work, on the other hand let's just say it's better if you leave the cooking to Elena XD

Thanks great video👍🏻, got to agree do have a biase to a tiller. Never owned a boat with a wheel, my brothers trapper 500 has one and also sailed in some beneteau with them just don't get / feel the same feed back and they devied a cockpit area, as a cruiser 70% of the time i am at anchor or a mooring so prefer the space and enjoy the feel when sailing. PS my brother is always buying new belts for his auto pilot but think that has more to do with him over powering the the boat and not reducing sail!!😟🤔

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, to all your points, Al! It’s so nice to have the space at anchor, especially it’s nice being able to see the heads of our guests 😂 (the wheel hid them before), but also we love to be able to both sit on the high side when heeling underway. Poor autopilot! The price you pay for speed 😊😉

The new Pelagic tiller pilot will likely work for you. It is twice as powerful as the ones made by Raymarine. It is sold by Scanmar International in California.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah they look good but we’re happy with our hydraulic autopilot - we’ve never found it not up to the task and it doesn’t draw too much elsctricity. It’s also below decks out of the salt and water.

Really enjoyed that. Care to run through some of the make of the electric tools you have and can you get spare blades, discs etc ? That cutter was awesome. I guess Aldi/Lidl could figure but have always thought of their offerings as being weekly specials as opposed to always in stock. Thanks.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers S Jay, we usually get Bosch and Makita tools, they usually last ok and aren't crazy expensive. Oscillating multi tools like the cutter I was using are really good on a boat you can get saw, sanding and scraping attachments for them, and I think it's only like 250 watts so can run off a cheap inverter easily.

@moonshine3333

4 жыл бұрын

Sailing Kittiwake Thanks for the info, interesting. There's a job waiting for you over at Tally Ho 😊😊😊

I must say I DO like a double-ender and Skua is a very pretty example. Really nice job on the tiller, Ryan, especially given your obviously limited tool availability. A couple of spoke shaves; curved and flat, are a useful addition to your tool box in that they are good for rounding edges and inside curves as well as being a short plane. Appreciate you have to weigh up what you take. Elena's saying popping "home" made me think. Would that be UK, Italy, or Skua? =;-)) Nice vid. Ryan; dude, get some cooking skills to match your joinery, seriously.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! Yes, it's a toss up what to take. So many tools are very useful for one job but sit rusting away for 3 years between being useful!

@chriswills9530

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake Trudat.

@johntw8567

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake i find a small 4 inch disc grinder with coarse flap wheels very useful when shaping wood i use mine when making bowels and boxes from logs speeds up the work imensely and is good or sharpening my steel tools also

I'm so happy to have a wheel steering boat now. Why did you want to go to a tiller? I know to each their own but I really would like to hear your reasons. I like being able to leave the helm for short periods of time to do thing like trim the sails and go restroom with out trying to tie the tiller. I've had all tiller steering boats till my current boat. You did a beautiful job at creating that tiller. My last boat was a 12 ton Steel Hull boat 34 feet long 6 foot draft 9.8 foot beam with a tiller that was 5 feet long...Even with such a long tiller when the storms picked up I had to stand on the leeward side of the cockpit and hold that tiller with all my might to keep her on course. It's sad to see the level of disrepair those boats are in in that yard. The sad thing is my last boat is sitting in a yard like that and it makes me sad every time I see her. I loved her but it would cost too much to repair her after she filled up with water and sat that way for a year. While I was in the Med on the USS Enterprise in the US Navy my boat was blocked up wrong by the boat yard. They blocked the bow too high so that the hatches in the cockpit didn't shed like they did when she was floating in the water. I lived on her for 2 years and ran out of money and couldn't find a job. Planned on moving back on board her when I was transferred to shore command and do all the projects I dreamed about when I couldn't afford to. One of those projects was to convert her to Wheel Steering. When I came back to her to find out what happened I was heartbroken. Took me 3 years to find my current boat and 3 years to get her back in the water after 20 years on the hard. I'm so happy to be on the water again. She isn't quite ready to be a full time live aboard but soon she will be. I can't wait till she is ready. Really like you vlog. Keep living the dream!

Good idea to use CAD to set out. That cutting electric tool looks a bit difficult.

All my boats had tillersteering, now and then I steer on wheelsteered boats too. But I find more sensitivity in the tillersteering. Just make more unasked movements with a wheel....guess it's just what you are used to. Now I was wondering what are your sailing plans for next summer?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

There's a saying that if you learnt to sail before you learnt to drive you prefer a tiller, but if you learnt to drive first a wheel is more natural which I guess makes sense. We love the tiller though - simple, lots of feedback to tell you to balance the sails, and it just looks right - it's a bit like windvane steering instead of an electronic autopilot, it just feels right.

Nice job Ryan. I think you have done the right thing by changing to tiller steering from hydraulic wheel. Absolutely no feel with hydraulic steering but if the wheel had been cable would you have still changed it? Other than for space would their have been a benefit?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi John, not sure to be honest, if it was 100% reliable and easy to fix (which cables generally are with the right spares) then maybe we wouldn't have gotten so fed up with it to change it, but the tiller has really changed the space of the cockpit for the better.

Fine job crafting the new Tiller Ryan. Hope you wont find steering a handfull with that big rudder. I often wish I had wheel steering on my tradewind as tiller can be quite heavy at times with the big rudder. But like you cockpit is small so no room for it.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Tom, do you use a block and tackle?

@tommurray6600

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake rely on my Aries most of time.

Looks great! Do you see any difference in span of turning radius with such a long tiller? Does it reach with the end of it to side stanchions?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

It doesn’t reach the stanchions, no. No difference of span 😊

Well done Ryan I'm really impressed,especially with the tools you had, or didn't. I also prefer a tiller for all the reasons you mentioned. Careful going in reverse might snatch quite hard and especially with it being long. Guess you have used it a fair amount by now.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Michael! To be honest we always go super slow in reverse, otherwise Skua can go all over the place!

@manfredschmalbach9023

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake Perks of going forward straight as a whale.

Hope it works well for you. Big job, Well done.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers! Fingers crossed 😊

I agree that the wheel pedestal was a bit in the way, but why not mount a removable wheel on the rear facing wheel mount on the aft end of the cockpit?

Nice boat! What do you mean a "free Marina"??? I'm building a whole rudder for my boat at present. If I were there you guys would get a ride and I have plenty of tools if you needed! ❤️

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

We were docked there for almost a month for free. It’s an abandoned, unfinished marina with no services. Aw thank you! It’s all done now 😉

Impressive job on hardwood with your limited tools Ryan. You'll always be drilling stainless steel on your boat so get a set of Cobalt drill bits. They work on stainless just like a regular drill bit on mild steel. My emerg tiller just sits on the head of the rudder stock similar to yours. Did you do anything to prevent it lifting off the rudder stock?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Roy, I always use cobalt on stainless - those were cobalts in the video, but I find them quite snappy and they still take a lot of cooling.

@alanmelvillesbicycleriding1085

4 жыл бұрын

​@@SailingKittiwake You're right, Cobolt is "snappy" Pay particular attention to appropriate RPM for the size and you'll have them for years. I have a set that are 26 years old! From the sound of yours in the video, they have lost their edge (sharpness). If you don't already know how, Google how to sharpen drill bits, or buy a sharpening attachment to go on your drill, don't buy one that is too cheap, they're not worth it.....ask me how I know.....!!! Your technique of stepping up in size is correct. A nice sharp bit will produce a nice length of unbroken swarf, and you won't have to push the drill like you're trying to move a 20 ton block!! BTW, Good job on the tiller and the temp also felt like it went up to a million degrees here today....... :)

Make sure to buy some sun block lotion, you looked pretty red :) Good job on the tiller.

I've only ever had tiller steering on my boats, but they have all been smaller than Skua. One of the things that would worry me about a larger boat with a tiller would be the physicality of sailing it in a blow. Do you find the tiller heavy in high winds or is it ok? More importantly, how does Elena find it? Its something that I love the idea of but I worry that my wife (and me too if I'm honest) might struggle a bit with a larger boat.

Good tiller job Ryan. How did you manage to power your tools (given it looked like you had no shore power)? Converter? Or did you have a little generator running? Ta

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! No shore power, nope. I used the inverter on a sunny day (we have a huge solar panel and batteries).

Hey Ryan, awesome strategy using CAD measurements. What program do you use, and what’s the cost?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Brett, I use a free one called Libre CAD. If you're used to Autocad it's easy to pick up, just a lot more simple with less features.

This is exactly the conversion I want to do with my 1979 Hunter Cherubini. Are you still satisfied with the conversion? Is there anything in hindsight you'd do differently now? Thanks!

Your new tiller looks really good but how will you attach an auto pilot to it?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

The hydraulic autopilot connects to a quadrant below decks, we don't intend to connect a tiller pilot to it - if we want to use the tiller pilot then we balance the boat with the tiller and use the tiller pilot on the hydrovane

Nice work, just one question. I am not a sailor, but if the tiller was for the emergency steering when the wheel brakes, what is your current emergency system if the tiller breaks? And are you sure the mount of the tiller won't fatigue, because it was just designed for emergency...

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Manuel, the tiller is so robust that it doesn't really need a backup, but we have another (shorter) tiller as backup, and we also have the hydrovane which has its own rudder with a tiller.

Nice job with a minimum of tools just oil it and don't worry about the cladding put some paint on the metal and call it done. Did you put the old wheel and pedestal on ebay,I'm sure someone is looking for one to restore

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ronald. No, we kept everything in case we want to go back to wheel steering 😊 You never know.

@ronaldharris6569

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake it opened up so much space in your cockpit I doubt you will give that up

Why not use some of the remaining iroko plank to fill the area where the pedestal was? Laminated surely it would be much better than plywood...

A really smart idea to convert to a tiller - the pedestal steering when you are short-handed is a pain in the but + with tiller you get back and extra pair of hands. Spend a little time how to set up a pair of heavier bungy cords to help self steer. it can take a lot of the effort out of the process. If you are interested - there is some really good detail and thoughts on shorthanded sailing @ www.sfbaysss.org/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition2.pdf

Drilling stainless ,Slow speed heavy Feed !!!!!

Wow nice job , what is the name of that place ?i will need that !

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers! It's Argostoli.

@albatros1752

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake thank You

Please always protect your eyes dust everything.

I think that the tiller will not stay up, but could fall on your head. All wood goes limp at some point.

@pcb1962

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I would not trust it, needs a pin to keep it safely up

mmm... I don't want to be negative but I think without being laminated the tiller will warp and split no matter what you treat it with.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hasn't done so far... what makes you think it would? Do you think all solid tillers warp and split?

@lotophagi711

4 жыл бұрын

@@SailingKittiwake Generally a solid of piece of wood will warp unless it's fixed down like, for example, bulwark/toerail caps or grab rails. Have look around at other wooden tillers - you will see they are laminated. If you discover what seem like other solid tillers a careful look may reveal that the timber has been ripped lengthwise and the two pieces reversed against each other and glued together. This cancels out and unevenness in the grain which causes the warp. I've made a few spars and it's normal to rip the solid into four or eight strips then reverse every other strip. I also think that where the tiller meets the stock is a stress point and without lamination any crack will spread.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

The boat’s original emergency tiller from 1976 is a solid piece of wood and dead straight, no warping or cracks 😊

which marina is free? is it because it's low season or because you are youtubers?

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

It’s an abandoned marina free for anyone. There’s a few of those in Greece.

Two words: block plane.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

I think it went to the charity shop before we moved onto Kittiwake 🙁

Boatyard = death trap

Wow. That’s amazing. Please PM me. My boat is a double ender also with hydraulic steering and I also have been wanting to add a tiller handle. I’m dying to see how your boat steers with the tiller. I don’t like my big wheel clogging up the cockpit. My skype name is Jean Mondeau. Thanks so much. Call 24-7 This is soo important to me. Thanks again.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Jean, if you drop us an email we can answer any questions you've got. There's no PM on KZread.

@Jmmondeau

4 жыл бұрын

Sailing Kittiwake I can do that. I’ll look for your e mail.

I've only ever had tiller steering on my boats, but they have all been smaller than Skua. One of the things that would worry me about a larger boat with a tiller would be the physicality of sailing it in a blow. Do you find the tiller heavy in high winds or is it ok? More importantly, how does Elena find it? Its something that I love the idea of but I worry that my wife (and me too if I'm honest) might struggle a bit with a larger boat.

@SailingKittiwake

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Jeff, it's ok, a block and tackle make it a lot easier - I steered Skua in 30 knots with the short tiller with a block and tackle. Reefing early of course helps too. That said we rarely hand steer except when manoeuvring.