I have just recently gotten a 99 260. I really like the boat but it seems to me that the tiller is too long and interfers with tacking etc while sailing. I installed a good tiller extender and am now tempted to cut a few inches off the main tiller. I won't do it yet because I have not had a chance to sail in high winds and don't know if the boat is going to develop a lot of weather helm ( like my Catalina 250 did). Has any one out there shortned their tiller? I would like to hear your experiences.
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You will need all the leverage you can get
Hunter 26 & 260 have very high rudder loading. This is why they had problems with designing a cable driven wheel system. Don't cut your tiller, you need it. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
Hunter 26 & 260 have very high rudder loading. This is why they had problems with designing a cable driven wheel system. Don't cut your tiller, you need it. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
I was afraid of that
That is the one thing holding me back. We sailed this past weekend and hit 6.2 knots and had a basically neutral rudder. I guess I will wait and see how she behaves when overpowered.
That is the one thing holding me back. We sailed this past weekend and hit 6.2 knots and had a basically neutral rudder. I guess I will wait and see how she behaves when overpowered.
Shorter Tiller
Dear Calvin, I felt the same way with my tiller on my H260, especially when the boat was sailing on autohelm and your really didn't need the tiller at all. What I did was to cut the tiller in half with a pipe cutter for a clean and straight cut. Then inserted a beveled oak dowel in one end and this way I can re-attach the other half of the tiller whenever I want. There are some pictures in the photo archives under "H260 Autohelm/GPS Installed" dated 09-23-02. The white material on the wooden dowel is wax. The fit is so tight that I can't get the dowel to insert unless its waxed. I was lucky enough to go sailing with "Alan of the South Shore" this past Sunday who has the same problem with his tiller. Alan, if your out there, your comments please? Regards, Bob.
Dear Calvin, I felt the same way with my tiller on my H260, especially when the boat was sailing on autohelm and your really didn't need the tiller at all. What I did was to cut the tiller in half with a pipe cutter for a clean and straight cut. Then inserted a beveled oak dowel in one end and this way I can re-attach the other half of the tiller whenever I want. There are some pictures in the photo archives under "H260 Autohelm/GPS Installed" dated 09-23-02. The white material on the wooden dowel is wax. The fit is so tight that I can't get the dowel to insert unless its waxed. I was lucky enough to go sailing with "Alan of the South Shore" this past Sunday who has the same problem with his tiller. Alan, if your out there, your comments please? Regards, Bob.
Heavy Weather Helm
If you're experiencing heavy weather helm that's a sign there is too much sail up. Put a reef in the main and the weather helm will decrease. Also, if you're sailing with too much main causing heavy weather helm you're probably overloading the sailcloth and stretching it. At this rate the sail will be become "blown out" which will exacerbate "tenderness". Other signs of a blown out sail is the inability to point without luffing and excessive heeling in wind the boat should be easily to handle. It’s better to reef and protect you investment in sails which are expensive to replace. If you're doing 6.2 knots in a 26 you're moving along really well.
If you're experiencing heavy weather helm that's a sign there is too much sail up. Put a reef in the main and the weather helm will decrease. Also, if you're sailing with too much main causing heavy weather helm you're probably overloading the sailcloth and stretching it. At this rate the sail will be become "blown out" which will exacerbate "tenderness". Other signs of a blown out sail is the inability to point without luffing and excessive heeling in wind the boat should be easily to handle. It’s better to reef and protect you investment in sails which are expensive to replace. If you're doing 6.2 knots in a 26 you're moving along really well.
Rake the tiller foward
Rack the tiller foward as far as it will go..! It should take alot of the weather helm, also reef early.
Rack the tiller foward as far as it will go..! It should take alot of the weather helm, also reef early.
But I don't have weather helm...
Something has been lost in translation. I have yet to experience weather helm on the 260 and that is why I am considering shortening the tiller which in my opinion is too long. I will, however, wait until I have a day with whitecaps and knockdowns before actually cutting it. For those of you who are experiencing weather helm- be sure the rudder is all the way down, raise the centerboard a bit and possibly move the mast forward.
Something has been lost in translation. I have yet to experience weather helm on the 260 and that is why I am considering shortening the tiller which in my opinion is too long. I will, however, wait until I have a day with whitecaps and knockdowns before actually cutting it. For those of you who are experiencing weather helm- be sure the rudder is all the way down, raise the centerboard a bit and possibly move the mast forward.
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