securing tiller

[Bob Cronin]

After suffering a broken rudder and $2400 later for a replacement, I was wondering if I am causing unnecessary stress on the rudder by securing the tiller with a shock cord to the toe rails while on the mooring . Should it be tight or loose or should I secure the tiller to the backstay and allow the rudder to flop as much as it wants?

 

[Johnb]

The boat opposite me in the marina on the outside of the dock did not have the wheel lock engaged and the wheel was moving around at the rate of about once every 3 seconds. That is 28,800 per day or 864,000 times a month, if the wind never dropped. Got to be causing more wear than all the use it would get in its lifetime.

The endless motion from those little "hull banger" waves will add up. I say secure it.

 

[Ray Bowles]

I would lock the tiller/rudder in one position when leaving the boat. Your bungee cord will break in time and then you have a rudder that will slam side to side until something fails. Many boats with transom hung rudders are built in a way that allows the rudder to be removed entirely. This is what I do on my SJ 23.
To tie it down is cheap, rudders are not.
Ray

 

[Joe]

If you don't want the tiller to move, use rope instead of shock cord.