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TillerClutchTM |
Tamer-Style Friction Wheel & Knob | Rod or Tiller-Extension Holder |
Shock Cord (Bungee) Rig |
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Function |
On/Off clutch action | Friction brake – continuous friction | Solid brace |
Stretchy restraint |
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Speed and Convenience |
Click of lever at hand. Natural and intuitive | Requires repetitive knob rotations | Awkward engagement
and adjustment |
Quick to disengage, multiple movements to engage |
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Durability |
Essentially unbreakable | Weak on plastic models | Rugged |
UV deterioration |
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Materials |
Hard anodized aluminum and stainless steel | Primarily plastic | Varies |
Shock cord & attachments |
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Action Required |
Click lever on/off with steering hand | Must shove against friction or unscrew & re-tighten knob | Adjust length of tiller extension or detach it |
Grasp cord and reset attachment point while holding tiller |
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Hands Required While Steering |
One hand | Two hands | Two hands |
Two hands |
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Holding Power |
Optimal, with preset override | Variable, suitable for light conditions | Unyielding in emergencies |
Weak and bouncy |
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Appearance |
Refined and unobtrusive |
Somewhat obtrusive | Bulky |
Makeshift |
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Potential to Snag Mainsheet |
Low | High, vertically protruding knob | Low |
Low |
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Feel While Steering |
Frictionless natural steering | Grind of rope around hard edge | Frictionless natural steering |
Increasing resistance |
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Friction Adjustment |
Unnecessary | Knob to turn | N/A |
Manually reposition |
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Emergency Override |
Can overpower when necessary | Can overpower when necessary | Unforgiving when engaged |
Easily overpowered |
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Helmsman Response Time |
Instant; grip helm and lever in one motion | Fast when forcing tiller, slow when rotating knob | Slow; must locate extension to adjust steering or to detach |
Fast when moving tiller, slow when adjusting steering |
