kentblairlvideo
Nutshell Pram Tiller Repair
June 7, 2026 · 3 min · 136 views
What this video covers
A Nutshell Pram tiller bushing — a small wooden sleeve around the bolt where the tiller attaches — has cracked after roughly four years of use and needs repair.3:08 Kent removes the tiller, demonstrates the pram's single-piece pintle-and-gudgeon rudder system (sourced from the Wooden Boat Store), and explains how the design lets one person mount the rudder single-handed from inside the boat by dropping the bottom gudgeon on first, rotating 90 degrees, and sliding it down.Watch He walks through how the bridle sits above the tiller fitting and provides enough slack to install the tiller underneath it, while also retaining the rudder if it kicks up in shallow water — though he recommends adding a keeper line to prevent the rudder from floating away entirely.2:03 The cracked tiller bushing is the repair focus: he removes the tiller assembly, identifies the split in the wooden bushing, and plans to disassemble it, apply Dixo adhesive, and reassemble.3:08 The rudder system is credited as a Joel White design with contributions from Maynard Bray.1:32
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