Self Steering Without a Windvane

[Rob Bageant]

I know this has been talked about before.

But I can't resist saying that my very first sheet to tiller experiment was a great success.

Using the mainsheet as control source, I got Syzygy to sail to windward on a rail in relatively light, but unsteady conditions.

What a blast to charge through the Puget Sound hands free.

I have both the more common Letcher book and a copy of Lee Woas book, which could have been titled: "How to Make Your Cape Dory Self-Steer Without a Windvane" as most of the pictures in the book are Cape Dories.

Woas, Lee(1982)Self-Steering Without a Windvane, Seven Seas Press

[Run Aground Again]

Hi Rob,

I just read "Wind and Tide" by Jerome Fitzgerald and am very eager to try the sheet-to-tiller sailing he describes. Do you have any diagrams or photos to give details of the setup that worked well for you?

Thanks,
- john

[Dick Barthel]

[quote="Rob Bageant"]I know this has been talked about before.

But I can't resist saying that my very first sheet to tiller experiment was a great success.

Using the mainsheet as control source, I got Syzygy to sail to windward on a rail in relatively light, but unsteady conditions.

What a blast to charge through the Puget Sound hands free. quote]

I second John's request for some more info! Thanks Rob.

[boom2it]

I was looking at availability of the book by Lee Woas, $100 to $159 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a USED 179 page book??? WOW, that is outrageous. Maybe the book actually does the steering for you?
I too am curious and would love to see this setup.

[Rob Bageant]

Thanks for the interest in my system.

So far, I only have it working on one point of sail, so sending in photos etc, although tempting, may be more disservice than service. Others on this board have advanced their sheet to tiller skills fare beyond where I'm at. Maybe they will weigh in with photos.

The crux of the system is balancing a pull to windward from the right sail, main when above a beam reach, jib when beam to broad reach, against the pull of surgical tubing to leeward.

The best online resource I know is:
http://www.solopublications.com/sailariq.htm

This details one man's sheet to tiller system on his Pearson Ariel.

Woas book, although out of print and expensive, has been a treasure trove for me, especially since he did many of his experiments on a CD28 and also other Cape Dories.

AbeBooks.com lists used copies of Woas starting 69.49 and up.
www.Alibris.com lists one copy for 43.23 and then jumps up.

I have generally found Amazon to be a poor choice for rare books, often charging double what Alibris and AbeBooks charge.

For me, the most promising system, and ideal for those of you with cutters, is a steering sail of about 45 square feet for my CD28, that is flown between the mast and the jib and sheeted to weather. such a system is reported to offer steering control from a broad reach to a close haul, although, if I am beating to windward, I will do without the drag of a backed steering sail and take the control force from the main sheet.

I don't have such a sail yet, but I'll make sure to let you know when I do.

And when I get my mainsheet system to the point that I can get it to handle more points of sail than simply hard to windward, I'll post up some picks.

Thanks,

Rob

[Rob Bageant]

Oh yeah,

If you thinks Woas' book is pricey, have you priced windvanes lately?

[Joe Myerson]

Hi Bob,

I've been obsessed with sheet-to-tiller steering for several years, and established a set of links to various websites.

Here they are:

http://www.solopublications.com/sailariq.htm

http://www.blueanarchy.org/selfsteering/index.html

http://www.jsward.com/steering/index.shtml

http://dan.pfeiffer.net/p26/singlehand.htm

Our own Tod Mills also has a nice web page on the subject, although he must have changed his web address.

In addition, I purchased John Letcher's book on the subject and, (shame on me!), I ordered a copy of Lee Woas's book through interlibrary loan and photocopied some of the information.

Unfortunately, Woas's approach is based almost entirely on the use of other sails, and my 25D has only one headsail, so most of his techniques were not applicable.

There are many threads on the subject on this board.

I personally found that my boat sailed very well upwind with a sheet-to-tiller system, but I could never get her to sail well off the wind.

The best approach is to practice, and to be sure to keep your sails balanced. I rarely find myself sailing on one tack for very long, so I haven't practiced enough.

Good luck, and keep the board posted.

--Joe

[The Patriot]

... $100 to $159 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a USED 179 page book??? WOW, that is outrageous ...

Perhaps outrageous, but more common than one might think. I have a copy of "A Cruising Guide to Nova Scotia" by Pete Loveridge that dates from the late 1990's. It is inscribed to me by the author whom I know personally. The book is no longer in print, and I have seen it listed online at close to @200 used.

I also have a copy of "Yachting Guide Bermuda" that dates from the mid 1990's. It also is no longer published and is available online for over $150. This is the second edition. I owned the first edition and "tossed" it when I got the second. Now that action is beginning to look kinda dumb.