Why would you need to tighten the tiller arm?
Over time, due to usage and vibrations, the tiller arm may loosen. This will mean that the tiller arm moves vertically very freely. This can make driving the IRB more difficult in swell and chop, and also increase the risk of damage to the tiller arm.
How tight should the tiller arm be?
The tiller arm should be easily moved up and down by the IRB driver but should not move freely when the tiller arm is not held by the driver (i.e. it should be tight enough to support its own weight when in the vertical position – shouldn’t fall down under its own weight).
How to tighten the tiller arm
- Using a 10mm spanner or a socket, tighten the tension bolt on the tiller arm.
- Ensure you only make small adjustments to the 10mm bolt and check the tiller arm friction before doing further small adjustments as required.
Only small adjustments are to be made to the 10mm bolt and care is to be taken not to over tighten the 10mm bolt. If during the small adjustments that no increase in tension of the tiller arm is experienced the IRB Officer is to be informed and the issue recorded in the IRB Log.