Skerry tiller tether

OK, so I have a piece of small cord on the end of my tiller to help keep the tiller from falling in and behind.  When I tie it , it always seems to get tangled in something.  I'm wondering if a length of shock cord lashed in the middle and anchored near the gunwale might work better.  What have people come up with to avoid fishing the tiller out of their wake?  This will be 2nd season sailing, so still refining things.


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RE: Skerry tiller tether

���I drilled a hole in the middle bulk head near the top corner and ran my line between the end of my tiller and that hole. So far works well and doesn't get too tangled.

RE: Skerry tiller tether

   simple strip of velcro on steering stick & on gunnel

experiment with where - mine are set for steering a straight course (rudder amidships) and are at the base of my oar lock on starboard

this serves me as auto pilot & as stick "keeper"

maybe .50 cents in velcro & gorilla glue

2 years later still going strong in salt water 

RE: Skerry tiller tether

   This works well for me.  By running the cord back to the aft bulkhead I don't get tangled up at all, though at 74 I don't move around a lot either.

hokker

U

 

RE: Skerry tiller tether

   Oops!  Photo didn't take.

RE: Skerry tiller tether

My tiller tamer consists of a “Boggle”, made from Bungie cord and two parrel beads tied through a cleat on the starboard rail. It holds the tiller firmly but allows for a quick release.

Henry Gifford's "boggle."

I thought Henry's "boggle" was pretty clever and installed one on my Northeaster.  It works fine at holding the tiller in place and releases easily, but it still allows the tiller to slide forward and aft, making it impossible to hold a heading.  I wonder how Henry keeps it from doing so.

RE: Skerry tiller tether

I had the same problem at first.  Every tack left me fouled in the tiller tether.  I finally realized that the tether doesn't need to be tied to end of the tiller handle.  It's just as effective tied farther back.  Mine is attached at about the level where the tiller handle crosses over the forward edge of the aft seat and leads to an inwale scupper at about the same place.  It is never in the way there.

I've read a lot of accounts of people losing the tiller handle overboard.  I've never had that happen, but I use the tether because I'm living proof that anything can happen.     

Hooper

RE: Skerry tiller tether

   A small tiller clip like the one below is helpful.  I put one onto the starboard aft gunwale onto my Skerry - it's the fold down type - and it helps keep the tiller from wandering off, most of the time at least.

 https://www.westmarine.com/buy/ronstan--nylon-tiller-clip--545343?recordNum=20

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