So I made a tiller that goes just up to the Barney post. Also made a new tiller extension about 3 feet long. I'm 225lbs (save it...) and being able to sit all the way forward is a total game changer on every point of sail. Tacking took some getting used to as the longer extension hits the boom when flopping over, but having plenty of beach cat skippering under my belt, this was an easy adjustment. I need to turn the mainsheet stopper around so the cleat rotates to the forward side rather to the back when tacking.
For "self-steering" I use a small bungie cord wrapped once around the tiller behind the extension and hooked onto the barney post. There's enough flex to correct and re-center as need. So far, works great when setting the whisker pole or messing about between races.
Added 4:1 outhaul and Seldon swiveling cleats for the halyards allowing easy hoist and douse from any angle; highly recommended upgrade.
I still have to strip the horn cleats off the mast base and some bungie-ball connectors off the transom as it seems I've got stuff to get sheets fouled all over the place. If I'm gonna keep her for a while, I'll add a proper cunningham that I can adjust easily on the fly and likely add blocks to the existing jib tracks and reroute the jib sheets and cleats up to the "bulkhead" (whatever that's called where the little storage space is) as the stock location/turning block/cleat system is unacceptable for me.
Not sure I'll do particularly well without buying a new set of sails (which ain't gonna happen) but I'm typically at the sharp end of our VERY competitive fleet and man, this is a fun boat to zip around the course. ;-)
Steve S.
For "self-steering" I use a small bungie cord wrapped once around the tiller behind the extension and hooked onto the barney post. There's enough flex to correct and re-center as need. So far, works great when setting the whisker pole or messing about between races.
Added 4:1 outhaul and Seldon swiveling cleats for the halyards allowing easy hoist and douse from any angle; highly recommended upgrade.
I still have to strip the horn cleats off the mast base and some bungie-ball connectors off the transom as it seems I've got stuff to get sheets fouled all over the place. If I'm gonna keep her for a while, I'll add a proper cunningham that I can adjust easily on the fly and likely add blocks to the existing jib tracks and reroute the jib sheets and cleats up to the "bulkhead" (whatever that's called where the little storage space is) as the stock location/turning block/cleat system is unacceptable for me.
Not sure I'll do particularly well without buying a new set of sails (which ain't gonna happen) but I'm typically at the sharp end of our VERY competitive fleet and man, this is a fun boat to zip around the course. ;-)
Steve S.