What do you do with the tiller at the end of the day???

[MoJac]

Well all is well in the world as MoJac my CD25 is back in her natural environment and swinging happily at the mooring.

As I started to button things up at the end of the day on Fri I noticed some excessive wear (obviously from last year) on my tiller cover. This, I am sure, is from where I tie off the tiller when I leave the boat. This got me to thinking (always a dangerous activity) what do other owners with tillers do at the end of the day?

- Leave the tiller (and therefore the rudder loose to flop back and forth)? Or,

- Tie it off, up vertical, down horizontal and if so How and to what.

As always pics are the best.

[Steve Darwin]

Vertical, lashed to the main sheet, which, on the 25D, arises from the traveler just aft of the tiller.

[Markst95]

Horizontal, bungeed to the jib sheet cleats.

[jbenagh]

horizontal and lashed to the jib sheet cleats. I don't have a cover so I touch up the varnish every year.

Jeff

[Jay B.]

Another vote for horizontal lashed to the jib sheet cleats.

[Jack Carr]

As I use my jib sheet cleats for the sheet lines to secure the rolling reefer from movement at anchor due to high winds, I have a small 1/2 clasp secured to the teak cowling and run a light line horizonal from port to starboard and attached to the tiller.

[Joe Myerson]

I put my tiller in the vertical position and tie it off, with a clove hitch. Sometimes I tie it off to the stern cleats and, more often, I tie it off to the pushpit.

This is the first full season that I'm using a tiller cover--thanks to Fran Trapp--but I'm not sure how the canvass will stand up to being tied with a clove hitch.

--Joe

[Sea Hunt]

Tiller cover; vertical; tied with clove hitch to stern cleats port and starboard.

[Ray Garcia]

Tiller cover; vertical; velcro strapped to coiled mainsheet hanging from boom bail. Yes--sounds complicated, but I like the velcro strap.

[Kilgore]

Vertical, lashed to the main sheet, which, on the 25D, arises from the traveler just aft of the tiller.

This.

[barfwinkle]

Steve Darwin wrote:

Vertical, lashed to the main sheet, which, on the 25D, arises from the traveler just aft of the tiller.

Same on S/V Rhapsody only with a cover.....

[Ron Churgin]

I just let mine swing free, vertically.

Now you all have me worried. Is there a reason to lash down the tiller? I am at a dock so am not swinging around a mooring.

[marv brinn]

I tilt the tiller up and then use the mainsheet crisscrossed over it to keep it in place. it works great

[mattlydon]

CD 28 - I leave the tiller vertical, and have a small loop of light line which is knotted to the backstay. I flip this loop (about 10-12" long) over the tiller to prevent it from falling to the horizontal position and potentially bashing around the cockpit in a blow.

I then take the main sheet, which is cleated behind the tiller, coil the free line, and drop it over the tiller.

The loop keeps the line off the cockpit sole, everything's tidy, and I'm not stressing anything out.

I AM adding wear to the rudder shaft 'bushing', but you can't have everything.

[Joe Myerson]

I should have added that my 25D has mid-boom sheeting, thanks to the PO before the PO. That's why I tie my tiller to the pushpit, or use the aft cleats.

I've also experimented with a piece of light line to the backstay, but I think it was too light. I didn't like the way the rudder moved. It sounds like Ray's idea of a Velcro strip might be a better solution, and if I were enterprising (which I'm not), I could even sew it into the tiller cover.

--Joe