[jjrux]

I am new to sailing and I have a question regarding the tiller on my recently purchased O’Day Widgeon. I have only sailed her a few times, but it seems like the tiller is too long. The Widgeon has a centerboard trunk and the mainsheet cam clamp that is mounted at the rear of the cb trunk. The tiller extends sufficiently close to the cb trunk that I am having trouble getting around it when I change sides after tacking. I will be sailing the Widgeon single-handed most of the time so the longish tiller may be appropriate. The only other sailing that I have done was on a Sunfish. It had a tiller extension which allowed me to fold it back out of the way when I changed sides.

My question is should I cut off the end of the wooden tiller handle to shorten it?
Or do I just need more practice moving around in the boat?
Is there a down-side to shortening it?
If I cut down the handle, should I reattach the loose end as a tiller extension?
Where can I find the hardware needed to add a tiller extension?

I would like to hear the advice of those with experience before making an irreversible change to my tiller.

Thanks,
John