Tiller tubes !! HELP

New to this forum and sailing in general. Wife and I have purchased an old 18 and absolutley love it. Has taken a lot of tweeking but is working respectfully now. Have a problem with the idea that after a tack I have to flip the tiller behind the block set. This seems to take focus off of jib sheet and rudder direction. Are longer tiller tubes available to get rudder in front of block set or is this something that will not work ? Any comments as to what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.
This forum and the hobie parts catalouge have been invaluble to our progress. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much.

I can remeber feeling the same way when I got my first Hobie 18.

If you have sailed monohulls before it REALLY seems counter intuitive

The old Sol Cat 18 is set up the way you describe and after getting used to passing the tiller behind the block set, sailing the Sol felt like it was set up all wrong. The tiller tended to get in the way of the skipper as he crosses the tramp, or hit the boom if you tried to get under it, also, if it wasn't fully collapsed it tended to hit the crew, or get all tangled up in both the skipper and crew.

Flipping the tiller behind the block set is a bit awkward at first, but it is the ONLY way to go on a Catamaran.

Believe me, once you get used to it, you wouldn't want it any other way.

Stephen

_________________
If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

Must5429, thanks a bunch for comments. Now that I know that is the way it is I will just get used to it.
Thanks again.
Garth