Dart 15 Forums

After very dramatically cartwheeling the boat across the reservoir this afternoon, I have a snapped trapeze shock cord (easily sorted) and the long tiller extension is now bent through about 30 degrees.

Any advice the best way to straighten is? Or should I just take a hacksaw to it, make it into a spare standard length and buy a new one?

Hello,

Its a two stage process.
1. thank God that you are not allowed a carbon one!
2. Bend it back. It'll probably be fine.

ll the best

RobinL
1952

The last time I bent my Sport extension it had lasted 3 years since the previous bending (and even that wasn't the first!). It broke when I tried to straighten it again, so it now has an alternative use. Point being that the alloy won't cope with more than a few bends and re-straightens, but it's worth having a go at straightening it (well nearly straight), in the hope you're less prone to mishap in the future.

I have a "Workmate", which I used to clamp the shorter remaining straight part, plus a little of the bend, tightening the vice as much as possible. As I had nowhere to "wedge" the workmate so it wouldn't move, I then lay the workmate down so I could bear down simultaneously on both the workmate and the longer straight part of the tiller extension, making the bend straighter. Then repeat, moving the tiller extension gradually further into the workmate vice until adequately straight.

Thanks for reminding me I've been meaning to straighten a bit of bend in my standard tiller (don't ask how that happened, cos I'm not saying!)

Much more than a two stage process

1. Be thankful it is not carbon
2. Be thankful it is not telescopic
3. Check price of replacement
4. Resolve that if the straightening totally fails, then I will just buy a new one
5. Take encoragement and courage from "Bend it back. It'll probably be fine."
5. Try various method of straighting using workbench, teenagers, teenagers and workbench - failed still bent
6. Jam into apple tree where the big branches leave the trunk
7. Relocate teenagers
8. Apply teenagers to one end to stop it spinning
9. Apply a HUGE amount of force
10. Celebrate now I have a functional long tiller extension again
11. Hope no one looks too closely

George, thanks, sadly read your advice after straightening.

Why did I not think of doing something sensible like lying the workmate down ?????????? (Each time I pulled, workmate and 2 teenagers just pivotted around).

Sean

Well done Sean - impressive finding teenagers to help twice in one day. Bet they were waiting for it to snap !!!!!

Welcome to the forum by the way - many helpful people here.

Steve

Unfortunately i have been the victim to a vast amount of bent sprinting tillers. Could just be the way iI sail, (various pitchpoles whist on the wire etc). but i have still got the same tiller and has been straightened i cannot remember how many times.

The way I do it is I put the straight length of tiller into the front beam of the boat, then carefully pulling in the required direction to straighten. But you must remember to do it carefully as you do not want to kink the alloy. Ok i must admit it is not 100 per cent perfect by any means but the two ends are in line with each other with a bit of a wobble in the middle.

hope that this may be of some help because it is a quick easy repair if your at a TT or Nationals and you accidently forgot to pack your workmate into the boot.