Want to make a new tiller

[Rick D]

not sure what type of wood I should use.The back of the tiller will be notched to recieve the rudder.All of my tillers develope a crack at that weak point.

 

[Larry Merz]

New Tiller

The tiller on my Oday 222 is made of solid ashwhich works well being a hardwood.If you are ambitious enough you can laminate ash and mahogany to make a new tiller ,but that takes alot of woodworking capabilities.Boat US and West Marine have new tillers available for about $50 and they might fit your boat....

 

[Steve Dion]

H & L Marine

Rick:Contact H & L Marine. Their number is 323/636-1718. They are located in Southern Cal. They have many tillers listed for specific boats and I suppose that many of these will fit other boats. They make their from Mahogany & Ash. Their prices range from the high $20 to low $90 range. Finished or Unfinished.If you are going to try to make one, I would think that Ash is going to be your best bet. I think that you could send them a tracing of your tiller with some basic dimensions and they should be able to fix you up.

 

[Jim A]

I made one once

buy one unless your a real pro! It is not worth it!

 

[Mike]

Another vote for buying one

Unless you are a skilled woodworker with steam woodbending equipment, I highly recommend you buy one of the curved models available at West Marine or BoatUS. They will not only look much nicer than anything you can make at home, they work better ergonomically. I had a homemade oak (I think) tiller on my Oday 23. It was a straight stick, rounded on the sides and at the end. I was always complaining about how I had to reach down to steer, and how it would hit the knees or stomach of the person sitting across from me in the cockpit when we tacked. For our anniversary, my wife bought me a tiller made by H&L. It is a stock model that is a direct replacement for a Coronado 25/Oday 27. It is the same length as the homemade job, but it is a beautiful piece of woodworking with alternating layers of ash and mahogany. It has a big upswept curve in it, putting the steering grip in a very comfortable position. I am also no longer banging into my seatmates.