Help! Tiller decided to go swimming...

Here's a sad sailor's story... My dad bought a 1976 Cal 2-27 about 12 years ago. We painstakingly restored it from the bottom (literally) up. Last winter my dad decided to bring the tiller home so that he could refinish the wood. As he was stepping off the boat, the tiller slipped and down it went... We had a diver go down and look for it unsuccessfully and the boat has been sitting there tillerless for over 18 months now. My dad is too embarrassed to do anything but he misses sailing, so I've decided to take on the task of coming up with a solution. Basically all we have is the rudder post and the stainless steel "cap" (forgive my non-nautical lingo). So I'm looking for advice on any of the following. 1) Is there a Cal 2-27 graveyard? (Other than the ocean!) where I could find used parts? 2) Is it possible to find a modern part that would fit? (I measured the rudder post at 2 7/8" diameter...) 3) Has anyone ever had the parts I need fabricated? 4) If anyone out there has retrofitted their boat with a wheel and has their old tiller sitting around, let me know! You've found a buyer!!! My suspicion is that we're going to have to have something custom made. So to that end, if anyone out there that wants to help keep a beautiful Cal 2-27 afloat, if you could provide some photos of YOUR OEM tiller (and tiller straps, etc.) with some measurements of all the parts, it would be a HUGE help in my effort to try to get my dad back on the water. Thanks to all for taking the time to read this and hopefully respond. Best, Parker

Annapolis Performance Sailing has one. The side plates can be fabricated pretty easy if you can get some 2" x 1/4" stainless flat stock. http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d87000/e86133.asp alaskafactor <pa… [at] parkerfleming.com> wrote: Here's a sad sailor's story... My dad bought a 1976 Cal 2-27 about 12 years ago. We painstakingly restored it from the bottom (literally) up. Last winter my dad decided to bring the tiller home so that he could refinish the wood. As he was stepping off the boat, the tiller slipped and down it went... We had a diver go down and look for it unsuccessfully and the boat has been sitting there tillerless for over 18 months now. My dad is too embarrassed to do anything but he misses sailing, so I've decided to take on the task of coming up with a solution. Basically all we have is the rudder post and the stainless steel "cap" (forgive my non-nautical lingo). So I'm looking for advice on any of the following. 1) Is there a Cal 2-27 graveyard? (Other than the ocean!) where I could find used parts? 2) Is it possible to find a modern part that would fit? (I measured the rudder post at 2 7/8" diameter...) 3) Has anyone ever had the parts I need fabricated? 4) If anyone out there has retrofitted their boat with a wheel and has their old tiller sitting around, let me know! You've found a buyer!!! My suspicion is that we're going to have to have something custom made. So to that end, if anyone out there that wants to help keep a beautiful Cal 2-27 afloat, if you could provide some photos of YOUR OEM tiller (and tiller straps, etc.) with some measurements of all the parts, it would be a HUGE help in my effort to try to get my dad back on the water. Thanks to all for taking the time to read this and hopefully respond. Best, Parker --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

H & L marine has the best deal around. And makes beautiful tillers. Mine delivered to Montana was within a couple dollars of $100. Reggie >From: pat pat <et… [at] yahoo.com> >Reply-To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Help! Tiller decided to go swimming... >Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 09:16:02 -0700 (PDT) > >Annapolis Performance Sailing has one. The side plates can be fabricated >pretty easy if you can get some 2" x 1/4" stainless flat stock. > > http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d87000/e86133.asp > >alaskafactor <pa… [at] parkerfleming.com> wrote: > Here's a sad sailor's story... > >My dad bought a 1976 Cal 2-27 about 12 years ago. We painstakingly >restored it from the bottom (literally) up. Last winter my dad decided >to bring the tiller home so that he could refinish the wood. As he was >stepping off the boat, the tiller slipped and down it went... > >We had a diver go down and look for it unsuccessfully and the boat has >been sitting there tillerless for over 18 months now. My dad is too >embarrassed to do anything but he misses sailing, so I've decided to >take on the task of coming up with a solution. > >Basically all we have is the rudder post and the stainless steel "cap" >(forgive my non-nautical lingo). > >So I'm looking for advice on any of the following. > >1) Is there a Cal 2-27 graveyard? (Other than the ocean!) where I >could find used parts? > >2) Is it possible to find a modern part that would fit? (I measured >the rudder post at 2 7/8" diameter...) > >3) Has anyone ever had the parts I need fabricated? > >4) If anyone out there has retrofitted their boat with a wheel and has >their old tiller sitting around, let me know! You've found a buyer!!! > >My suspicion is that we're going to have to have something custom >made. So to that end, if anyone out there that wants to help keep a >beautiful Cal 2-27 afloat, if you could provide some photos of YOUR >OEM tiller (and tiller straps, etc.) with some measurements of all the >parts, it would be a HUGE help in my effort to try to get my dad back >on the water. > >Thanks to all for taking the time to read this and hopefully respond. > >Best, >Parker > > > > > > >--------------------------------- >Do you Yahoo!? > Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.