J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Replacement Tiller

Looked hard for a replacement tiller ... for Vee Jay 2

WM was "custom" city... two others would get back to me once I could give them the measurements.
but Defender on line $107.99 FOR J30 in stock ... ordered monday ... delivered Wed.

EXACT same H&L laminated tiller that I was replacing.

And they say J30 parts are hard to find.

v

Does your tiller have a 'rise' or is it straight like the original? Please provide a link to your source.

Thanks

I have used the straight tiller most of the last 25 years but when I tried the curved tiller 20 years or so ago I had a problem with the stainless steel hiking stick not working with it ... so I changed back.

Vee Jay 2 had the curved tiller and Defender had it in stock. This summer Koos of Sonskyn told me to just bend the shaft of the hiking stick and it seems to at least look good. I am about to update the Vee Jay here in Naples to match the tiller in Newport [photo attached] I opted to go to double plastic clips on the shaft to hold it in place. Originally we used one on the cross bar but that is too far off the wood with the curved version.

And for $108 I thought this was sort of J30 ish and in budget.

Problem with these tillers is that the ash seems to go faster than the mahagany if water gets into the laminate ... that's what went bad with the tiller on Daisy Cutter now Vee Jay 2.

NOTE i have not actually used this combination as i rehabbed Daisy Cutter to Vee Jay 2 this summer and was not able to get it in the water ... this combo may really be a bust ... but hey i've tried everything else once or twice. A lot of J30s seem to now use it. This summer when I sailed on Rhapsody I didn't seem to have a problem with it on that boat, nor when I returned to the straight stick here in Naples.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|297677|76313&id=76378

I was just browsing through the Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS) catalog and saw the J/30 tiller listed. Here's the listing for all boats:

http://www.apsltd.com/c-263-laminated-wood-tillers.aspx

and here's the listing for the J/30 specific item:

http://www.apsltd.com/p-4944-wood-tiller-j30-54.aspx

It's basically the same price as the Defender item...so it's nice to know that we have more than one source.

just a follow up ... duplicated Vee Jay 2 tiller on Vee Jay -- looks good but couldn't get the steel to bend the same ... I'll live with it.

But a note on the Socket for the Stainless Steel Antique Ladder Tiller Extension ... this was thru WM --
Forespar 104006 "TFP Receptacle Assy". think it took a 7/16 bit. nice fit for the screw. needed a regular and small fender washer for a bearing surface to get it over the screw heads ...

and keeps the screw from chewing up the tiller.

How did you bend the shaft of the hiking stick? Pipe bender, press around a form or what? Looks like you did a good job. Thanks

Al - Vic used finesse with 2 x 4's - see this thread

Now that I have looked at both of them made up ... the one on Vee Jay 2 pivots too far back ... so in May off it will come and move perhaps six inches toward the handle end ... I haven't even used that boat once and already I am into marinetex rework.

I was lulled into that position because the 2000 on 2 is attached below the tiller on a dumb aluminium arm instead of on top of the tiller on Vee Jay where the pin is directly locked into a close fit 1/4 in. drilled hole. And the curve fit so nicely ... but with the rework in May they will both look more alike.

with the J30s natural weather helm it will pay to be further out on the stick.

By the way if anyone has a spare 5/16 x 24 self locking ss nut ... I would appreciate it ... have to buy a bag of 50 down here and that stopped me cold. WM didn't make a move to special order 1 for me. I am currently experimenting with using 5200 as a stronger locktite.

Why not just put a second nut on it? That's the way mine came from the factory.

The laminated tiller appears to be a bit deeper using the flange tube with a couple of washers to clear the screw heads and that wraped over tiller fitting.

The theaded rod would be happier with a self locking ... or maybe two thin nuts (also not easy available here). But 5200 may be just as good. If it works ok for the next couple of months it probably will go 5-10 years.