Marine running repairs (tiller) Swanage area

[RobBrown]

Boat just towed into Swanage by the Lifeboat due to tiller broken off in stock on our Moody 29 whilst on family sailing holiday between Peverell Point & St Aldhelms Head. Boat currently on an RNLI Bouy in the harbour. Many thanks to them on a busy shout day.The jury rig I did is not something I would like to trust to sailing any distance. Does anyone know own of someone in the area who could assist in getting a workable temporary fit asap to enable us to get back to Bursledon safely as we can't of course stay where we are for any length of time? Rob Brown Second Affaire.

 

[RobBrown]

For info, given the name of a Swanage based marine engineer by the Water Taxi, who is hopefully coming to have a lok tomorrow.

 

[Topcat47]

I don't know anyone in Swanage who can do anything for you.

I had a similar problem some years ago in Poole. A reasonable jury rig would be some angle iron screwed and glued . I did this on mine together with a number of jubilee clips around both the ends of the broken tiller. If your tiller is broken off at the rudder fitting, this may present problems and I doubt that my solution would do, looking at photographs of a Moody 29 but if you have even a short split end it would do to get you home. Gluing with epoxy along a split, and drilling and bolting through the scarf end will add strength. If you know the dimensions of the socket and approximate length of the tiller, I could make up a temporary one to get you home tomorrow but I"d not be able to get it to you until Monday at the earliest.

I"ve just seen your second post. at least you have me as a plan "B".

 

[JumbleDuck]

Is it something like this? (GIS for "Moody 29 Tiller)

If so, presumably any suitable bit of wood which could be fitted into the hole, once the stub of the old tiller was removed, would do. I have a lovely bit of ash which would suit perfectly, but it's 100 miles from me and 400 miles from you. For short term use any reasonably resilient wood (not mahogany, for example) should do. Howells at Poole?

 

[davidpbo]

Interested to see that you say that mahogany is not a resilient wood. I made some slats for a rear platform out of it and one split after a not particularly hard contact with jetty, also made some brackets to hold a number board on and they were too britle. I am slightly concerned about the outboard bracket made out of the same wood. It was brought back by my wife's father when he was a merchant navy captain plying the Amazon amngst other places'. We have charts he drew that we should maybe give to a maritime museum.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Interested to see that you say that mahogany is not a resilient wood. I made some slats for a rear platform out of it and one split after a not particularly hard contact with jetty, also made some brackets to hold a number board on and they were too britle.

Yes, it tends to break easily. Short grains, I think. Looks nice, but not up to anything requiring a bit of bending.

 

[RobBrown]

Thanks for the helpful replies. The original tiller was wood laminate. I fell against it heavily & it broke off at the head, with no stub. I did jam the remainder losely in the head stock at the break and lashed tiller extension on as an emergency splint to enable us to steer with the tow, but not secure enough to sail with especially not around Anvil Point on the ebb! On an RNLI buoy in Swanage on a w/end so access to people/materials not straightforward, but having spoken to Neil,who also runs a Diveboat here, he thinks he can manufacture a usable temporary mild steel replacement in the next couple of days. We can then look at a proper replacement when we get back home. Buggered the holiday a bit though. No West Country for us this Summer!

 

[TQA]

What about an axe handle or a pickaxe handle. Readily available up to 36 in. Enough meat on the business end to fit I would think.

Should be a diy job to fit or anhours work at most for a woodworker.

 

[RobBrown]

Thanks for that. May be something tonlook at when we get home. Pleased to say Neil in Swanage turned out today even tho a Sunday and modified remaining tiller to fit, so good to go,albeit with a 20cm shorter tiller. Thanks to him and all on here for help & support.

Rob

 

[pmagowan]

Would be nice to see a pic. I am struggling to picture a tiller that couldn't be repaired with an on board toolkit in an hour or so. You might need to plan for such things in the future, toolkit wise. It is one of those things where you don't know you need something until you need it and then you keep one on board for ever more and never need it again! A new laminate tiller is an easy DIY job for when at home.