Persistence's tiller 2

As purchased, the tiller is a bit long. John cut about two inches from this end to yield a comfortable length. Also, it's not as thick as the Mk V rudder, so 3/8" ash shims were added to bring the space between the straps up to the thickness of a Mk V rudder.

These dandy little "stiff tiller straps" from Layline cost as much as the tiller. They're through-bolted with s/s bolts and nylock nuts. After their holes were drilled, John coated the insides of the holes with varnish on a Q-tip. Another option would be to block one end of the hole, fill the cavity with varnish or epoxy, let it soak in for 20 minutes, then dump the excess.