Has anyone used a R. F. Tessler Company Tiller Stay on a Compac-16. If so, I would be interested in information and any pictures. Thanks!
I had never heard of this product before reading this post. 'Googling' (isn't it funny how this is now a verb) the term, I found this site: http://www.mv.com/ipusers/whale/tillerstay/ (http://www.mv.com/ipusers/whale/tillerstay/). Is this the product that you were thinking of? It has a photo of the product on a Compac 19 as well as some other boats.
I'd be interested in hearing from any of you that may have used this as well.
I've use a tiller tamer on a couple of previous sailboats. They worked fine as long as you didn't shift your weight. I think the C-16 is probably light enough that shifting your weight will over ride any tiller locking system. I think you would need a true autopilot to compensate for weight shift if you want to leave the tiller and crawl into the cabin for anything, or go forward...
I intentionally tie the tiller amidships and steer by shifting weight whenever conditions allow.
I bought mine from a company in Canada, I will try to find the link. it is made of stainless steel and a brass roller. Basically a clamp for the tiller with a nice handle that i can let it fly and take control back. The plastic ones I have heard break when the going gets rough, which is when i need it the most, when I need to go forward to and I'm single sailing.
I'll try to find the company for you...it has saved me lots of trouble.
Will
BTW: this is my next project tiller to jib piloting: http://www.solopublications.com/sailariq.htm
Right where I found mine, on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sailboat-Tillerlock-tiller-lock-your-rudder_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ31281QQihZ014QQitemZ330326464891QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ht_906wt_1197
I love this thing, it never let me down.
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sailboat-Tillerlock-tiller-lock-your-rudder_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ31281QQihZ014QQitemZ330326464891QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ht_906wt_1197)
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sailboat-Tillerlock-tiller-lock-your-rudder_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ31281QQihZ014QQitemZ330326464891QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ht_906wt_1197)
Rick-K, postive Karma to you Captain. Working and reading on this. Thanks for all these comments!
Here's a pic of my Can Sail tillerlock... works great.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/com-pac/photos/album/712582202/pic/873359355/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=21&count=20&dir=asc
Cheers
Dale