I am looking to put a tiller tamer of some sort on my O'Day 25. I have tried the Canadian one with the little tab and the Davis piece of overpriced crap that WM sells when I had a Catalina 22 and found them both to be not satisfactory at all. Anyone installed anything on your O'Day that seems to work for you??? Thanks ken in sacramento
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I put a lock box on the side of the coming and installed an adjustable tiller extension on my P-18 and it works well. I have one to mount on my O'day 25 but have not done it yet. It's a Forespar ext. I forget who makes the lockbox. WM sells them but you have may have to ask them to look it up. Some stores don't carry them and some do but don't know it. box is $28. and ext. is less than $100. gene
an autopilot is the best way to go
I've tried almost everything from Tiller Tamers to Jib sheet and surgical tube self steering arrangements, but I've found that a tiller autopilot is the way to go. After you get one, you won't want to sail without it. For leaving the boat on the mooring, I use two 5/16 braid lines that go from the stern cleats to the tiller handle. I sewed a piece of leather to the tiller. The leather has a hole that fits over the autopilot pin and prevents the two ropes from chafing the tiller. The ropes are tied in such a way that the pin on the tiller prevents them from sliding down. Anyway, the autopilot can really free you up if you sail single handed as I have done. I've cooked on board, used the head in dire emergencies, layed in the folkshole and read a book with the forward hatch open while glancing at a mirror to check out for anything in front of my bow, all under sail. I don't advocate that anyone should do these things, but sometimes you can sail in wide open areas where you don't get as much boating activity on week days, and it goes without saying, you really need to keep a good watch at all times.
I've tried almost everything from Tiller Tamers to Jib sheet and surgical tube self steering arrangements, but I've found that a tiller autopilot is the way to go. After you get one, you won't want to sail without it. For leaving the boat on the mooring, I use two 5/16 braid lines that go from the stern cleats to the tiller handle. I sewed a piece of leather to the tiller. The leather has a hole that fits over the autopilot pin and prevents the two ropes from chafing the tiller. The ropes are tied in such a way that the pin on the tiller prevents them from sliding down. Anyway, the autopilot can really free you up if you sail single handed as I have done. I've cooked on board, used the head in dire emergencies, layed in the folkshole and read a book with the forward hatch open while glancing at a mirror to check out for anything in front of my bow, all under sail. I don't advocate that anyone should do these things, but sometimes you can sail in wide open areas where you don't get as much boating activity on week days, and it goes without saying, you really need to keep a good watch at all times.
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