Lewis, Your system sounds like a good one. Do you use only bungee cord or do you use a section of line where it meets the cleat, as some other owners have suggested? Also, once it is set can you fine tune it easily? Thanks, Rick Langer M15 #337 Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 18:51:46 -0400 From: "Lewis Baumstark" <lbaum@preferred.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: Bungee cord tiller tammer To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <002701c448f4$308ec6e0$fd617642@fcy2801> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Rick, I've used the jam cleat/bungee tiller tamer system on three different boats. Got the idea from the Handbook of Trailer Sailing by Robert Burgess. I fashioned the jam cleat out of wood. It's kinda like 1/2 of a clothes pin. Attach it to the under side of the tiller with screws with the open end facing forward and forward of your bungee attachment points. The bungee hangs free until you need it, then just grab it and pop it in the jam cleat. Neat, easy, CHEAP, and works great. Lewis Baumstark WWP 15 Bristol, TN>
Rick,
Lewis,
Your system sounds like a good one. Do you use only bungee cord or do you use a section of line where it meets the cleat, as some other owners have suggested?
I don't think it would really matter. I do have a short piece of 1/8" line at each end of the bungee, but only because the bungee wasn't quite long enough. Also, once it is set can you fine tune it easily? Yes, just takes a little practice. I'm able to take one hand and move the tiller with a kind of pinching motion. Do remember!! On small boats like ours, the major ballast is US. Once you move from where you are when you set your bungee, the boat will stray off course (because of the weight shift). The nice thing about the bungee system is that it has a lot of give and can be stretched with the bungee in place to make course adjustments. When raising sail, I do it with my foot to keep the bow into the wind. As long as you are sitting still the boat will pretty much self steer.
Thanks, Rick Langer M15 #337
Good luck! Lewis
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Lewis Baumstark -
Rick Langer