Tiller for O'Day 23

[Golden Road]

I'm going to need a new tiller for this 23, as its rotten and the foward end is snapped off. Can somebody tell be the correct length? did the originals have a curvature? Are there prefabs sold by the marine stores? Thank you

 

[HukilauMike]

I'm going to need a new tiller for this 23, as its rotten and the foward end is snapped off. Can somebody tell be the correct length? did the originals have a curvature? Are there prefabs sold by the marine stores? Thank you

Stu: I don't know what the original looked like, but its not important. What is important is that you get a stick that you are comfortable with. When I bought my Oday 23, the previous owner had made a straight tiller; it was fine, but I found it constantly hitting my knees and the knees of anyone sitting across from me. I decided to switch to a curved model. H&L Woodworking makes really beautiful replacement tillers; you can get them thru West Marine or Defender. I chose the H&L model 112f because of the nice curve. The tiller is now easy to reach and never bangs into my knees. It also looks bitchin'.

Here is the link to Defender:

http://search.defender.com/?Action=...&SI=f200b575-a979-486f-b3e2-02d2fe3136ab&ss=1

Here is the West Marine link (its item "D"):

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10102&subdeptNum=10286&classNum=10287

Defender's price: $71.99. West Marine's price: $144.99. Yeah, I don't get it either.

You can also buy direct from H&L, but they warn it could take several weeks to make one for you:

http://www.pyacht.com/hl-sailboat-tlliers.htm

Note that their price is $69.98. I didn't investigate shipping charges (gotta leave something for you to do ).

Congrats on the boat; I love my Oday 23, and I bet you will love yours.

Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Don-MT]

As a suggestion, support this very website! Check out the "Store" tab above and it will lead you to the exact tiller you need. I have purchased a few things from sailboatowners .com and found them to be timely, friendly and an excellent value. Give them a try.

Shine On!
Don

 

[Golden Road]

Thanks, folks

Yes, the Store seems like they have a nice tiller. What's the vote on the rise, which they offer from 2 to 9"? Also, what is the length of it... sorry if I cause you to go out in the Cold Rain and Snow to find out...

 

[RichBone]

Sit in the cockpit and see what amount of rise give you clearance over your knees or as high as it would feel comfortable to have your hand on the tiller. I just got a new tiller with my new rudder and I think it was about 40''.

Rich

 

[Don-MT]

The one the store has the Oday 23 listed is a straight 44 inches. I don't think you could go wrong with a 2 - 3 inch rise. Any of the listed tillers with the butt of 2"x 1 1/2" and a length of 44" should work.

http://shop.odayowners.com/emp/images/product/tillers/99614.jpg

http://shop.odayowners.com/detail-custom_tillers.htm?group=721

Shine On!
Don

 

[HukilauMike]

I would have suggested looking at the Store on this site too if I had known it was an option. They didn't have tillers the last time I was in the market (I had checked back then as I have bought several items from this site in the past, and have always been pleased with the quality of the service and the products).

If you do decide to buy a custom tiller from here, mine is 43" long, and I would go with the big 9" curve model. It really clears the knees and (for me anyway) puts the tiller in a comfortable position for steering. I know that the width at the butt is 1 and 1/2", but I'm not sure of the height at the butt; I believe it is pretty close to square. If you can't measure before ordering, it won't make too much difference. As long as it fits into the rudder stock width-wise, you can make due with just about any height as the rudder stock on the Oday 23 is open at the top.

As I said, I believe in supporting the store on this site, as it subsidizes the great forums and other services. It is always my first stop when I am internet shopping for my boat. That being said, the price they are charging is almost double what you can get the same tiller for at Defender. Not meant as a criticism of Sailboatowners.com's pricing policies, as I know that for many products, their prices are quite competitive. Just that in this particular circumstance, they aren't.

 

[Steve Morris]

I replaced the original straight tiller on my O'day 25 with a curved one from D&R Marine. I chose the one with a 2" curve. It says that it also fits the O'
day 23. It is very well built, nicely finished, just perfect for my boat. They also have one with a 5" curve if you prefer the higher rise.

 

[Joe11688]

I'm going to need a new tiller for this 23, as its rotten and the foward end is snapped off. Can somebody tell be the correct length? did the originals have a curvature? Are there prefabs sold by the marine stores? Thank you

Stusail,
It would probably be a good idea to take into serious consideration right now about whether to get the bent tiller or the straight tiller. If you plan on buying an autopilot in the distant future, you can get away without that special bracket that needs to be mounted under a curved tiller by opting for a straight tiller right now. I've found that the straight tiller that I bought off Rudy at D&R Marine not only worked well for my Autohelm ST 1000+, but it is also the right height for straddling it while I'm single handing my O'Day 222 during tacks while handling my Gennie sheets. This is just something you may want to ponder while making your selection.
Joe

 

[Johan S.]

I'm going to need a new tiller for this 23, as its rotten and the foward end is snapped off. Can somebody tell be the correct length? did the originals have a curvature? Are there prefabs sold by the marine stores? Thank you

The ability to make do, on a limited budget... Getting by with much less than the average Joe.. In the words of Henry David Thoreau - Simplicity Simplicity Simplicity..

Instead of spending $100 bucks.. Take a walk in the woods. Enjoy the day! If you know what to look for - it will be right before your very eyes.... Hint, a curved 3" maple sapling with a crook on the end is all that was ever needed. You can curve it and crook it over winter and it will serve you well.. Unbreakable! Thats why they call it ROCK MAPLE.