Tiller adjustment: how much slack?

How much (if any) slack do you allow in your tiller and steering lines?

I've read elsewhere on these forums that overtightening the steering lines will put strain on the tillers and make them harder to turn. My lines right now are a bit loose and there's maybe 15-20 degrees of play in the tiller. How tight do you make yours?

Mine was tight, with no slack, when I bought it new. It still has no slack at all, and works great. Having slack in the line wont make it easier to turn the rudder, it just means you have to wiggle the tiller more before anything happens.

A common issue with the rudder seeming to be harder to turn, is that it is not all the way down. Ensure the rudder is completely down (you hear a "clunk" when pulling the downline) and the downline is cleated. If the rudder sticks out even a little bit, the leverage required to move it dramatically increases.

Hand tight, no slack
That makes it easier to steer, direct control
You have to make the lines tight from time to time
Peter
2015 AI