I am looking into making a new tillee. I like an 8 foot one piece. My current alum one is sort of heavy.

Mcmaster sells a 1 inch fiberglass tube. PN 2197K25 has a 3/32 wall. Its GP03 fiberglass. The price is right ar $42, length is 6 foot from them, so a splice is needed or I can find a vendor with an 8 footter.

It will be under the cover during storage. I have heard of the Malcheha sp?) but not in the budget.

Anyone have exper8ence with these? Thanks.

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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I have not had much success with homemade tiller extensions -esp fiberglass (they always end up with glass in my hands)
i would look into a hobie one piece personally - ymmv

FWIW...

I've used the non-extendable Hobie fiberglass sticks exclusively for many years and love 'em. No problem with splinters unless one gets busted...some sanding and a coat of epoxy will take care of that if it's not a total loss. A foot and a half or so of the end is whipped with some small dacron line for gripping.

That said, my stick is well under an inch in diameter and less than six feet long. It's cut down from the stock length a little to minimize foul-ups on the shrouds/trap wires when I'm positioned way forward. I'm short so the length is not a problem when trapping out. I'd think that, at one inch diameter and eight feet long, a fiberglass stick would be very heavy. Can't imagine passing that behind the boat for tacks/jibes. You need eight feet on a N5.0?



Edited by rattlenhum on Mar 03, 2023 - 07:18 AM.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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I have seen some people use golf club handle wraps on tiller extensions.. could help with future splinters and slipping hands.

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Scott

Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC

Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White)
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An eight-foot one piece will be cumbersome. Telescoping would be best. You'll need those eight feet because the N5.0 is very buoyant and when you're alone and trapezing you'll want your weight forward to sail upwind more efficiently. It helps to get those thin bow sections deep.

A guy I used to know came up with an inexpensive, novel solution. His boat had a beam of 10 feet and he used a telescoping, carbon fiber pan-fish rod. It had no guides so all he had to do was shorten it and put a fitting on the end. He was an experienced sailor and swore by it. Plus, it was very inexpensive.

Ariba went out of business (I think), and they made what many consider the best hiking stick for the money. If you can find one with the cork ball, get it!

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Golf grips are a good idea. I am reaaly tall and often solo, so long is goog. I have never heard of a panfish rod but will check it out. Thanks guys.

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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