Hi all, Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17. If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$. Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size. thanks, John S. -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
John: I recommend the Forespar Twistlock 27"-48" with quick release TFP (model 104017). Had one on my M15. Have one on my M17, Sage 17, Sage 15 and SageCat. Let me know if you need assistance in getting one. :: Dave Scobie :: former M15 owner #288 - http://www.freewebs.com/m15-name-scred :: M17 #375 SWEET PEA - http://www.m17-375.webs.com :: Sage 17 #1 - AIR BORN - http://sagemarine.us/sage_17.html :: Sage 15 sloop #001 - ASOLARE - http://sagemarine.us/sage_15.html :: SageCat #000 - SAGECAT - http://sagemarine.us/sagecat.html On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 3:31 PM, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
Hi all,
Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17.
If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$.
Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size.
thanks, John S.
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design
I have a fixed extension but sure can see where a telescoping one would be better. You want a long extension when singlehanding so you can sit pretty far forward. With an additional person or two on the boat, however, a long extension gets in the way. By the way John, I also have an El Toro and have learned a lot from your posts on the El Toro forum. Right now my bullship is used primarily as a rowing dinghy to get out to my M17 mooring. I hope to get a chance to sail it a bit this summer. I had a tanbark sail made for it to match my other boats. Not much likelihood of racing as I don't know of any other El Toros here in the Minneapolis area. Henry Monita. M17 Poquita. El Toro Chiquita Venture Newport 23 Limonita Force 5 Unnamed. Mirror Dinghy Sent from my Windows 10 phone From: John Schinnerer Sent: Friday, March 10, 2017 5:44 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: M_Boats: M17 tiller extension questions Hi all, Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17. If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$. Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size. thanks, John S. -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
John, I always used (use) a forespar telescoping extension. It doesn't have to extend much over 2.5 to 3' to work and let you sit anywhere along the seat to balance the rig. I also add a piece of foam pipe insulation on mine so if it should go into the drink it will float. Fairwinds, Tom B On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 4:31 PM, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
Hi all,
Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17.
If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$.
Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size.
thanks, John S.
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
On 3/10/2017 4:31 PM, John Schinnerer wrote: Hi John, Let me pass on my thoughts ablout what I did on our M15 with regards to a tiller extension. I had a FORESPAR telescoping tiller extension that came with our M15 when we bought it. When we first started sailing our M15, my wife and I sailed together, but as the years passed, plus her having two hip replacement operations, I found myself sailing by myself most of the time. The problem I now had was: The original tiller plus FORESPAR tiller extension didn't work very well when I sat all the way forward in the cockpit so that while sailing the transom was not dragging in the water; its the fore / aft weight distribution problem. In this, my now preferred sailing positions, the FORESPAR extension and the tiller made about a 120 angle when I sailed. It was a workable solution but, ... If you suddenly were hit by a gust, the 120 degree angle between FORESPAR extension and the tiller didn't give me the control I wanted. What I wanted was a 90 relationship between the tiller extension and the tiller so that I had maximum control input under the harder wind gust conditions I occasionally encountered. My solution was to build a new longer tiller that reached further forward in the cockpit. Now with the FORESPAR extension on the tiller, and sitting all the way forward in the cockpit, my tiller extension / tiller angle was 90 degrees under all sailing conditions. (I also had built a new lower hatch board where I had my binoculars / GPS/marine radio/and my Grundig radio so I had easy access to everything) This worked excellently for my single-handed sailing, but, .... if I had others on board - growing grandchildren - then the long tiller occasionally was too long and in the way. In other words, with more people on board I would have preferred the shorter, regular length, tiller, but wanted the longer one for solo sailing. The solution I was dreaming up to solve that problem was; use the standard length tiller, but build an extension (I was going to make the tiller length extension with a fiberglass socket so that it slid over the end of original length tiller, and was locked in place with a vertical pin using the FORESPAR socket; which would give me the additional length that I wanted for solo sailing. The FORESPAR extension could then be used on either length of the tiller - take your pick. I didn't build and try my last solution, because by that time we had come to the conclusion that it was time to swallow the anchor. Happy sailing, Connie
Hi all,
Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17.
If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$.
Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size.
thanks, John S.
Thanks all for your input on tiller extensions. Sound advice...I'm pricing options. The long adjustable seems overkill to me, a 4 ft. extension would be in my way...maybe my tiller is a bit longer than average, and/or, I'm pretty tall so have a long reach built-in. I may also just get a universal and cut my own aluminum extension to experiment with. I definitely get your point Connie about the angle from stick to tiller. Gotta crawl under the tarp into the cockpit and see what that looks like for me. thanks again, John S. On 03/11/2017 05:38 AM, Conbert Benneck wrote:
On 3/10/2017 4:31 PM, John Schinnerer wrote:
Hi John,
Let me pass on my thoughts ablout what I did on our M15 with regards to a tiller extension.
I had a FORESPAR telescoping tiller extension that came with our M15 when we bought it.
When we first started sailing our M15, my wife and I sailed together, but as the years passed, plus her having two hip replacement operations, I found myself sailing by myself most of the time.
The problem I now had was: The original tiller plus FORESPAR tiller extension didn't work very well when I sat all the way forward in the cockpit so that while sailing the transom was not dragging in the water; its the fore / aft weight distribution problem.
In this, my now preferred sailing positions, the FORESPAR extension and the tiller made about a 120 angle when I sailed. It was a workable solution but, ... If you suddenly were hit by a gust, the 120 degree angle between FORESPAR extension and the tiller didn't give me the control I wanted. What I wanted was a 90 relationship between the tiller extension and the tiller so that I had maximum control input under the harder wind gust conditions I occasionally encountered.
My solution was to build a new longer tiller that reached further forward in the cockpit. Now with the FORESPAR extension on the tiller, and sitting all the way forward in the cockpit, my tiller extension / tiller angle was 90 degrees under all sailing conditions. (I also had built a new lower hatch board where I had my binoculars / GPS/marine radio/and my Grundig radio so I had easy access to everything)
This worked excellently for my single-handed sailing, but, .... if I had others on board - growing grandchildren - then the long tiller occasionally was too long and in the way. In other words, with more people on board I would have preferred the shorter, regular length, tiller, but wanted the longer one for solo sailing.
The solution I was dreaming up to solve that problem was; use the standard length tiller, but build an extension (I was going to make the tiller length extension with a fiberglass socket so that it slid over the end of original length tiller, and was locked in place with a vertical pin using the FORESPAR socket; which would give me the additional length that I wanted for solo sailing. The FORESPAR extension could then be used on either length of the tiller - take your pick.
I didn't build and try my last solution, because by that time we had come to the conclusion that it was time to swallow the anchor.
Happy sailing, Connie
Hi all,
Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17.
If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$.
Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size.
thanks, John S.
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
On 3/14/2017 4:40 PM, John Schinnerer wrote: Hi John, My tiller modifications were made for ease and comfort when sailing. I wanted to be able to sit back; lean against the cockpit coaming, enjoy the sail, but maintain perfect control of the boat. The longer tiller (provided you have no play and looseness in the tiller/rudder connection), also gives you greater two-finger control of your heading. Things to consider when you are contemplating the tiller / tiller extension geometry. Connie
Thanks all for your input on tiller extensions. Sound advice...I'm pricing options. The long adjustable seems overkill to me, a 4 ft. extension would be in my way...maybe my tiller is a bit longer than average, and/or, I'm pretty tall so have a long reach built-in.
I may also just get a universal and cut my own aluminum extension to experiment with.
I definitely get your point Connie about the angle from stick to tiller. Gotta crawl under the tarp into the cockpit and see what that looks like for me.
thanks again, John S.
On 03/11/2017 05:38 AM, Conbert Benneck wrote:
On 3/10/2017 4:31 PM, John Schinnerer wrote:
Hi John,
Let me pass on my thoughts ablout what I did on our M15 with regards to a tiller extension.
I had a FORESPAR telescoping tiller extension that came with our M15 when we bought it.
When we first started sailing our M15, my wife and I sailed together, but as the years passed, plus her having two hip replacement operations, I found myself sailing by myself most of the time.
The problem I now had was: The original tiller plus FORESPAR tiller extension didn't work very well when I sat all the way forward in the cockpit so that while sailing the transom was not dragging in the water; its the fore / aft weight distribution problem.
In this, my now preferred sailing positions, the FORESPAR extension and the tiller made about a 120 angle when I sailed. It was a workable solution but, ... If you suddenly were hit by a gust, the 120 degree angle between FORESPAR extension and the tiller didn't give me the control I wanted. What I wanted was a 90 relationship between the tiller extension and the tiller so that I had maximum control input under the harder wind gust conditions I occasionally encountered.
My solution was to build a new longer tiller that reached further forward in the cockpit. Now with the FORESPAR extension on the tiller, and sitting all the way forward in the cockpit, my tiller extension / tiller angle was 90 degrees under all sailing conditions. (I also had built a new lower hatch board where I had my binoculars / GPS/marine radio/and my Grundig radio so I had easy access to everything)
This worked excellently for my single-handed sailing, but, .... if I had others on board - growing grandchildren - then the long tiller occasionally was too long and in the way. In other words, with more people on board I would have preferred the shorter, regular length, tiller, but wanted the longer one for solo sailing.
The solution I was dreaming up to solve that problem was; use the standard length tiller, but build an extension (I was going to make the tiller length extension with a fiberglass socket so that it slid over the end of original length tiller, and was locked in place with a vertical pin using the FORESPAR socket; which would give me the additional length that I wanted for solo sailing. The FORESPAR extension could then be used on either length of the tiller - take your pick.
I didn't build and try my last solution, because by that time we had come to the conclusion that it was time to swallow the anchor.
Happy sailing, Connie
Hi all,
Contemplating getting a tiller extension for my M17.
If you have one, what length works good for you? I'm thinking a fixed length one, but would be open to reasons why a telescoping one is worth the extra $$.
Also any experience with good or bad makes/models, whatever the size.
thanks, John S.
participants (5)
-
Conbert Benneck -
Dave Scobie -
Henry Rodriguez -
John Schinnerer -
Thomas Buzzi