What the heck is this?

[Garymadhatter]

I found this yesterday sitting on top of my water heater of my O'Day 30. Anyone have an idea what it is?View attachment 127456

 

[Justin_NSA]

Looks vaguely like an emergency tiller

 

[Garymadhatter]

Looks vaguely like an emergency tiller

That's what I thought at first but it doesn't fit into the slot for it. Then I thought it could be used for turning a valve of some kind but I can't find any.

 

[Justin_NSA]

It does look like some 'turning device'. The O'day owners will chime in I'm sure.

 

[THECUSCUS]

How about using it to drain the hot water heater into a bucket?

 

[Garymadhatter]

How about using it to drain the hot water heater into a bucket?

Maybe, but if so, why the slots on the short end?

 

[Roland5048]

Emergency tiller, for sure. Either came off another boat or the rudder post is now different due to a new rudder. I had to refab my e.t. when I replaced my rudder.

 

[SFS]

Maybe, but if so, why the slots on the short end?

So it can slide up around the shafts of two fasteners and be tightened in place?

I still vote for emergency tiller, except for the angle of bend is not 90 degrees.

 

[Garymadhatter]

I'm going to have to take another look next time I visit the boat later this week. Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[pateco]

It is a helper for your sea-cocks. Gives you more leverage to open and shut them.

 

[Garymadhatter]

Ah, that makes sense.

 

[justsomeguy]

Well, mystery possibly solved, but I'm not going to take Roland5048's "like"away.

 

[Justin_NSA]

It is a helper for your sea-cocks. Gives you more leverage to open and shut them.

Makes sense, but if you need additional leverage to turn them they may need to be serviced!

 

[pateco]

Makes sense, but if you need additional leverage to turn them they may need to be serviced!

Sometimes these valves are in hard to reach places. There is actually a retail product sold for this.

 

[kito]

Makes sense, but if you need additional leverage to turn them they may need to be serviced!

I can't picture how this is used as a cheater bar on a ball valve with the vertical slot. It was on top of the water heater......maybe opens a drain valve.

 

[Richard19068]

Looks almost exactly like the emergency tiller on my 1985 O'Day 31.

 

[Benny17441]

Some boat's emergency tiller, offset to clear the steering wheel while providing more leverage.

 

[Roland5048]

Thanks, Justsomeguy. Still believe it to be an emergency tiller. Like Benny said, offset to clear the wheel. Look at the top of your rudder post. There's probably is a pin thru the diameter. That is where the slots in the e.t. fit. You may have to refab that end of it.

 

[Tally Ho]

Looks like the emergency tiller in my O'Day 322. Mine is not a 90 degree bend either.

Greg

 

[Roland5048]

Take a look at these pics. I just took these while I was on my boat this afternoon. See if anything looks like yours.
Pic #1 Emergency tiller and top of rudder shaft.
Pic #2 Looking down the rudder shaft.
Pic #3 ET set up.