I hope you never delete this video. I have shown it to tons of people on how well it works. I use my sheet to tiller more than my Raymarine auto pilot. It works absolutely fantastically as your video portrays. My advice...use it learn it and you will love it.
Is the line from the tiller part of the main sheet, or is it somehow attached to the main sheet? If so, where is it attached? Would very much like to se a picture or have a good explanation of this.
For a long time I couldn't figure out this method as it appeared to contradict my experience on the water. Here's my take on things; I realise now that the secret to this is that THE BOOM END IS NOT CLEATED OFF. Under normal sailing, the sheet from the boom end is cleated on the traveller. This is the reason why a gust of wind forces the bow up into the wind and the main flutters and loses power. (ie. the bow is forced around due to the locked boom end). With the John Letcher method the boom end is not cleated off, instead you have a light control-line led from the boom end to the tiller. The tension in that control-line is balanced by a bungee of appropriate strength. Now, when a gust comes the boat does not round up, (because the boom is free,) and the light boom-line provides feedback to the tiller as in the vid. (The tension in the control line from the boom is matched by the tension in the bungee. The guy in the vid has several bungees of varying tension that allows him to balance the boom over a range of wind strengths). I've thought about this, on and off, for a long time and this is the best I can come up with
Thank you for explaining this. So normally if the boat heads to windward the boom eases, but uncleating the main sheet would push the boom out and the bungie would make the appropriate correction depending on the strength of the bungee, and right the course?
@@gonzosierra1yes. For the most part. The reason he has cleats on his tiller is so he can adjust and balance. Every boat is different and it requires a bit of play to figure out the balance and force needed. My 26ft boat will do fine on a beam reach to close hauled with my control line tied to the main sheet that is cleated off. The amount of load on this sheet is what controls my tiller in most situations. If there isn’t enough load change then you may need to uncleat the main sheet and tie off to the boom. Make sure you blocks and bungee line are up to this task however. But the best thing to do is play with it under different loads.
After watching video after video over the past year or so, I had resigned myself to remaining (layman, totally unsailed) ignorant about this phenomenon, but after watching Sailing Calypso's two minute video I now understand sheet to tiller. All I needed was to be taught intelligently!
Hi BroadLord. You are right. As I have said in other posts, the mainsheet is loosened off so that movement in the boom is transmitted to the tiller via the spectra control line. I would not advise releasing the main sheet completely, just in case a gust breaks the spectra, but just enough that it does not interfere with the movement of the boom. If your boat oversteers in gusts, you can experiment with a tighter mainsheet - this restricts the response of the tiller to a manageable level
Fantastic, and $6k less than a windvane, I had a more crude arrangement with just bungy cords, it would steer for 40 miles plus, depending on wind shifts, I had one run of over 240 miles without touching it
If solo, back this up with a 200' trailing life line through a block on the leeward side to the tiller. If you fall overboard and grab the trailing life line it will pull the tiller to leeward, turning the boat upwind and stalling the boat, instead of watching it sail away without you.
just finished your book! so useful -- thank you! (i've already snagged copies of many of the books you mentioned!!) and now i'm excited to find you online. i look forward following you. :)
Amazing, thinking of ways to auto steel my 28 footer without ruining my transom and putting a wind vane on it, this might be a contender, must look into it more
Go anyone that wants to experiment with this but not sure about committing to cam cleats on their tiller. Using a good clove hitch on the tiller will allow adjustments to help you balance the system. If you use it a lot the clove hitches will wear the varnish on the tiller and the cam cleats will help this somewhat and make it easier for micro balance adjustments.
Thanks for the excellent explanation. I used this system and it truly works. I also purchased the book you reference and it is full of excellent information for more of the same.
Thanks for this great video. You mentioned John Letcher, so I went and bought his (now out of print) book on self-steering. Brilliant book. I am going to try your self-steering system as soon as my boat is back in the water in May. Cheers.
Thanks for best explanation of sheet to tiller on youtube. What about other points of sail other than beam reach ? Possible to have just one adjustable bungee ?
@ganni025 . Absolutely. We found that the bungy cord was far better at concentrating and steering than any crew for extended periods. Also, as the bungy is always set to round up, there is no reason why you should get a dunk in normal sailing. However, if you are pushing the limits a bit and carrying a lot of sail, then you will have to stand-by to dump the mainsheet as you wold if you were hand-steering in these circumstances. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Hello from Queensland Austarlia. I think one answer could be that self steering systems are not thought in the sailing schools and most people also depend on electronics. let me ask you thus, do you know how to use an lead line to measuer the depth the boat is in ?. same reson. Gerard.
Asked about other points of sail without really thinking about it. Of course just set to usual rudder and mainsail position and adjust bungee as nec. Can't wait to try.
+Jon Ashton . A vald question Jon. You are more or less right. One thing to remember though is that as you come off the wind, you need to connect the control line to the jibsheet (on the wind and up to a beam reach, you can connect to the boom directly or to the mainsheet). Just tie a simple rolling hitch to it and away you go. Each boat is different, so a bit of fiddling around is required, but it is awesome when you get it sorted out - a kind of magic. good luck Jon!
Hello Trevor, its been 9 months since your question impregnated the room. Naturally the birth of an answer will be now: Just tie it directly onto the boom with a rolling hitch or similar knot, or maybe even build something on the boom so you can clip the line on to.
Hi, I really like your video and the ideas in it. Simple and inexpensive sounds great. What strength bungees do you recommend ? I have a Deben 4 tonner, 23 ft long. I will try to find the book you mentioned. Many thanks, Steve
I realise this superb video is ten years old but it is one of the best explanations I've seen on this. I'm a novice so be kind, but would you say there are any advantages to a wind vane over this? Downwind maybe? Looking at an boat now that has a wind vane but as I certainly don't need one yet and find them rather ugly lumped on the back thinking this may be a better option.
Sorry for the late reply. If you have a windvane, definitely use it. Sheet to tiller is really a system for those without the funds or a great substitute for when your windvane breaks, so every sailor will benefit by becoming proficient in its use.
sailingmarutji Maybe mount a small traveler on your tiller (can be made from some barstock with a moving sleeve with a thumbscrew through it) and attach the camcleat to it , the closer you adjust the traveler to the pivotpoint of the rudder the less force the bungy exerts on the boom , you'll most likely eliminate bungy change-overs and have an infinite amount of settings.
Next time you upload a video, please show us more close up pictures. I would like to see the connection of the spectra cord to the main sheet. If you have a blog or a website other than TH-cam, some drawings and text would be useful to. Thank you for this video. I wil try it next time I go sailing.
This works fine on z lot of boats but not so goood on smaller yachts where the boat balance can be affected by a shift in weight by the crew moving around eg aft up forward
For those that want to take this a step further, I recommend the fabulous book "Self Steering Without a Windvane" by Steve Woas (August 1982). It's a bit pricey at 300 bucks used (!!) on Amazon, but you might be able to hunt down a cheaper copy. It's where I got all my info and it is THE authourity on the subject
Good question why not everyone uses this system....in my case i just saw your video since i was watching all the expensive systems and i am going to wait for summer to try it out so that if i capsize the water would be a bit warm since i have a small 15 ft dingy......great job
So the only thing holding the boom/mainsheet in position is the spectra fiber? I'm thinking; - It must be, because otherwise the boom wouldn't move, and hence there would be no regulation, no steering. - But still the forces on the spectra fiber and bungee cord must be quite big.
'Everyone' doesn't do it because most people want wheel steering and sheet to wheel steering doesn't work as well as tiller steering because of drag in the system, and also because a electronic button is easier.
Very ingenious !!! I'm reading on the Mister Vee and windsteer.com websites that self-steering doesn't work well on multihulls or boats that can "plane" due to constant acceleration and slowing down. I'm really interested in a 31-ft Corsair Trimaran, does that mean that I just stick with an autopilot and wind sensor ???
would this work on my 1973 Coronado 30 with a fin keel, That does not have a trim tab on the keel? everyone has been telling me I have to have a full keel, for it to work properly. also could you make a video show me how to run everything, and kinda keep it slow so I can make sure I have a grasp on it and don't screw it up? I'm slow at this stuff for some reason. thanks, Bill
I think the mainsail has to be a tad overtrimmed in order for this to work. If the main is "perfectly" trimmed when the tiller is amidships, the tension will decrease when the boat heads up, and the shock cord will make the heading up even worse, so you will soon find yourself head to wind (bad). If it's overtrimmed, tension will increase when the boat heads up, and the boat will fall off the wind (good). Is this correct?
Thanks, I need to work on my sail trimming skills. Lol. I'm also plan on using a smaller main sail and raising the boom up so I can use my dobger when sailing. Would that mean I will have a hard time getting my sails trimmed right? Just wondering. If i can get this to work, it will be a big help. Thanks
Rollo Gebhard introduced it many years ago in one of his first books dealing with circumnavigation called "Seefieber". It is important to mention the real pioneers of sailing! Do not forget them! There are other sophisticated versions, which you can find if you google-search "Busca's sheet-to-tiller version". I decided to make a discription to show the components which are necessary to build your own set-up and what you need to buy or install at low costs. Take a look at www.shimaguni.de and search there for my eMail-address in "Impressum". I will send two pdf-files, if you are interested in DIY-sheet-to-tiller set-ups. .
A gust of wind will make the sail fuller, more efficient and the boat will speed up. Coupled with the fact that the boat will also heel a little it will then round up to the wind. Meanwhile, the increased load on the mainsail (due to the gust) will tighten the main sheet pulling the tiller to windward which in turn will steer the boat away from the wind and back on course.
I have seen a couple setups that use a pair of double blocks etc coming off the boom and then running to the tiller, I assume to reduce the stress on the blocks/tiller? I have a 27' monohull Id like to use this on and would like to use the single block setup that you show here. Have you experienced in high winds excess stress on the tiller, the block, or the spectra line? What would you advise?
Sorry for the late reply. I have used the system shown in 30 knots and it worked well. I tend to heave to above 35 knots anyway, but if you want to keep going, it would still work but perhaps you should go up a size in spectra and blocks and bolt them through the coamings.
so where is the main sheet attached? between the red line and the boom? just wondering how I get this to work when close hauled or when I want to trim in the main and change course. thanks!
carboman2010 the mainsheet has to be slackened off for the control line to work. The bunji balances the pressure in the mainsail via the control line. When you change course, you need to set the system up again. Luckily this only takes a minute.
Adrian North You got it! Actually if the boat is over-steering, you can restrict the amount of movement in the tiller by adjusting the mainsheet so that it will stop the control line at a certain point (usualy about 18 inches on Marutji)
absolute nonsense. My boat is a fin keel and it works just fine. What you have to undestand is that many people are not interested in balancing their sail plan and sheet to tiller requires you to do this. It is much easier to whack the autopilot on (which will steer a compass course even if your boat is hopelessly badly trimmed) Balance your sails so that there is llittle pressure on the tiller and then set up up your sheet to tiller system and she will sail as if she is on rails. .
+Gene Neill Hi Gene. I actually connect to the boom directly. You can connect to the mainsheet (particularly if the boat is over steering connected to the boom). Just use a rolling hitch.
Help me out somebody, I'm not getting it... If the boat comes up into the wind won't the tension on the line REDUCE as the sails will want to start to flap. see 1:30. E.g. if you want to steer closer to the wind than a beam reach then as you turn into the wind more you have to pull in the mainsheet to take up the slack.
I had the same point of view as the one you have outlined. I couldn't figure out this method as it appeared to contradict my experience on the water. Here's my take on things; I realise now that the secret to this is that THE BOOM END IS NOT CLEATED OFF. Under normal sailing, the sheet from the boom end is cleated on the traveller. This is the reason why a gust of wind forces the bow up into the wind and the main flutters and looses power. (ie. the bow forced around due to the locked boom end). With the John Letcher method the boom end is not cleated off, instead you have a light control-line led from the boom end to the tiller. The tension in that control-line is balanced by a bungee of appropriate strength. Now, when a gust comes the boat does not round up, (because the boom is free,) and the light boom-line provides feedback to the tiller as in the vid. (The tension in the control line from the boom is matched by the tension in the bungee. The guy in the vid has several bungees of varying tension that allows him to balance the boom over a range of wind strengths). I've thought about this, on and off, for a long time and this is the best I can come up with. Makes sense to me. Fair winds to you.
+Mike Stone . The stronger the breeze, the better it works - as long as you are not carrying too much sail. One of the absolutely non-negotiable things about sheet to tiller is that you must balance your sail plan. Not a bad habit to get into anyway!
I hope you never delete this video. I have shown it to tons of people on how well it works. I use my sheet to tiller more than my Raymarine auto pilot. It works absolutely fantastically as your video portrays. My advice...use it learn it and you will love it.
Is the line from the tiller part of the main sheet, or is it somehow attached to the main sheet? If so, where is it attached? Would very much like to se a picture or have a good explanation of this.
@@finnziem both work. You will have to experiment to see which one works best for your setup
For a long time I couldn't figure out this method as it appeared to contradict my experience on the water. Here's my take on things; I realise now that the secret to this is that THE BOOM END IS NOT CLEATED OFF. Under normal sailing, the sheet from the boom end is cleated on the traveller. This is the reason why a gust of wind forces the bow up into the wind and the main flutters and loses power. (ie. the bow is forced around due to the locked boom end). With the John Letcher method the boom end is not cleated off, instead you have a light control-line led from the boom end to the tiller. The tension in that control-line is balanced by a bungee of appropriate strength. Now, when a gust comes the boat does not round up, (because the boom is free,) and the light boom-line provides feedback to the tiller as in the vid. (The tension in the control line from the boom is matched by the tension in the bungee. The guy in the vid has several bungees of varying tension that allows him to balance the boom over a range of wind strengths).
I've thought about this, on and off, for a long time and this is the best I can come up with
Thank you for explaining this. So normally if the boat heads to windward the boom eases, but uncleating the main sheet would push the boom out and the bungie would make the appropriate correction depending on the strength of the bungee, and right the course?
@@gonzosierra1yes. For the most part. The reason he has cleats on his tiller is so he can adjust and balance. Every boat is different and it requires a bit of play to figure out the balance and force needed. My 26ft boat will do fine on a beam reach to close hauled with my control line tied to the main sheet that is cleated off. The amount of load on this sheet is what controls my tiller in most situations. If there isn’t enough load change then you may need to uncleat the main sheet and tie off to the boom. Make sure you blocks and bungee line are up to this task however.
But the best thing to do is play with it under different loads.
Thank you for sharing this. I'll be trying it the next time I'm out since I'm nearly always a solo sailor.
After watching video after video over the past year or so, I had resigned myself to remaining (layman, totally unsailed) ignorant about this phenomenon, but after watching Sailing Calypso's two minute video I now understand sheet to tiller. All I needed was to be taught intelligently!
Hi BroadLord. You are right. As I have said in other posts, the mainsheet is loosened off so that movement in the boom is transmitted to the tiller via the spectra control line. I would not advise releasing the main sheet completely, just in case a gust breaks the spectra, but just enough that it does not interfere with the movement of the boom. If your boat oversteers in gusts, you can experiment with a tighter mainsheet - this restricts the response of the tiller to a manageable level
Fantastic, and $6k less than a windvane, I had a more crude arrangement with just bungy cords, it would steer for 40 miles plus, depending on wind shifts, I had one run of over 240 miles without touching it
If solo, back this up with a 200' trailing life line through a block on the leeward side to the tiller. If you fall overboard and grab the trailing life line it will pull the tiller to leeward, turning the boat upwind and stalling the boat, instead of watching it sail away without you.
That is indeed what I do. full details in my book "Get Real, Get Gone" available on amazon. :)
@@rickpage27 love your book...just purchased it a few weeks ago. Blake G, Indiana, USA (well into year 1 of my 4 year plan towards being a liveaboard)
@@b87gr Good luck Blakey! Email me with any questions on sailingcalypso@gmail.com :)
Thank you love, tiller steering self steering so simple,thanks for the tip re trailing line 👍
@@rickpage27 Just ordered it a moment ago. I don't think I've ever seen a book with more five star reviews, so why not order it?
I've been searching for some time now and this is by far the best video.
Thanks
Fantastic video!! What a great system - and so cunning of you to get it together to use the old wisdom to create a green solution. Love it!!
just finished your book! so useful -- thank you! (i've already snagged copies of many of the books you mentioned!!) and now i'm excited to find you online. i look forward following you. :)
Love it!!! How simple you explain it ND ,express it ...lol
Amazing, thinking of ways to auto steel my 28 footer without ruining my transom and putting a wind vane on it, this might be a contender, must look into it more
Thank you! so clearly explained! I really get it now.....and i'm grateful.
Go anyone that wants to experiment with this but not sure about committing to cam cleats on their tiller. Using a good clove hitch on the tiller will allow adjustments to help you balance the system. If you use it a lot the clove hitches will wear the varnish on the tiller and the cam cleats will help this somewhat and make it easier for micro balance adjustments.
Well done Mate!
Thanks for the excellent explanation. I used this system and it truly works. I also purchased the book you reference and it is full of excellent information for more of the same.
FINALY ! I have seen how its done. THANK YOU
s west no worries. glad to help. let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks for this great video. You mentioned John Letcher, so I went and bought his (now out of print) book on self-steering. Brilliant book. I am going to try your self-steering system as soon as my boat is back in the water in May. Cheers.
Gregory Graham good luck! let me know how it goes!
Excellent idea. I'm going to try this on my Drascombe Lugger using the jib sheet.
will be giving this a go soon!
Thanks for best explanation of sheet to tiller on youtube. What about other points of sail other than beam reach ? Possible to have just one adjustable bungee ?
@ganni025 . Absolutely. We found that the bungy cord was far better at concentrating and steering than any crew for extended periods. Also, as the bungy is always set to round up, there is no reason why you should get a dunk in normal sailing. However, if you are pushing the limits a bit and carrying a lot of sail, then you will have to stand-by to dump the mainsheet as you wold if you were hand-steering in these circumstances. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Dude love it thanks for all the great info so how well does work for tacking and long journeys?
Hello from Queensland Austarlia.
I think one answer could be that self steering systems are not thought in the sailing schools and most people also depend on electronics. let me ask you thus, do you know how to use an lead line to measuer the depth the boat is in ?. same reson.
Gerard.
Superb. Thank you. I'm going to try this.
Asked about other points of sail without really thinking about it. Of course just set to usual rudder and mainsail position and adjust bungee as nec. Can't wait to try.
+Jon Ashton . A vald question Jon. You are more or less right. One thing to remember though is that as you come off the wind, you need to connect the control line to the jibsheet (on the wind and up to a beam reach, you can connect to the boom directly or to the mainsheet). Just tie a simple rolling hitch to it and away you go. Each boat is different, so a bit of fiddling around is required, but it is awesome when you get it sorted out - a kind of magic. good luck Jon!
Great idea, but you didn't show the entire setup. For instance the line that attaches to the boom
Hello Trevor, its been 9 months since your question impregnated the room. Naturally the birth of an answer will be now: Just tie it directly onto the boom with a rolling hitch or similar knot, or maybe even build something on the boom so you can clip the line on to.
Hi, I really like your video and the ideas in it. Simple and inexpensive sounds great. What strength bungees do you recommend ? I have a Deben 4 tonner, 23 ft long. I will try to find the book you mentioned. Many thanks, Steve
Explained very clearly Thanks for sharing
I realise this superb video is ten years old but it is one of the best explanations I've seen on this. I'm a novice so be kind, but would you say there are any advantages to a wind vane over this? Downwind maybe? Looking at an boat now that has a wind vane but as I certainly don't need one yet and find them rather ugly lumped on the back thinking this may be a better option.
Sorry for the late reply. If you have a windvane, definitely use it. Sheet to tiller is really a system for those without the funds or a great substitute for when your windvane breaks, so every sailor will benefit by becoming proficient in its use.
@@rickpage27 thanks for the reply.
Hi everyone. Thanks for all the great feedback. Just a reminder that I can only answer questions that have the "reply" button activated, Cheers, Rick
sailingmarutji
Maybe mount a small traveler on your tiller (can be made from some barstock with a moving sleeve with a thumbscrew through it) and attach the camcleat to it , the closer you adjust the traveler to the pivotpoint of the rudder the less force the bungy exerts on the boom , you'll most likely eliminate bungy change-overs and have an infinite amount of settings.
Thank you for sharing!
Brilliantly simple! I am going to set the rig on my boat tomorrow. I will try with dbl braid until I get a bit of spectra line
xjester60x Double braid can work too. Just use the thickest one poss to reduce stretch. Good luck!
Easy way
And that's one thing about tiller steering, don't need a fancy pulley system. If I still had access to my granddad's 18' boat, I'd try it out....
Rock n roll stuff this is
Next time you upload a video, please show us more close up pictures. I would like to see the connection of the spectra cord to the main sheet. If you have a blog or a website other than TH-cam, some drawings and text would be useful to. Thank you for this video. I wil try it next time I go sailing.
This works fine on z lot of boats but not so goood on smaller yachts where the boat balance can be affected by a shift in weight by the crew moving around eg aft up forward
For those that want to take this a step further, I recommend the fabulous book "Self Steering Without a Windvane" by Steve Woas (August 1982). It's a bit pricey at 300 bucks used (!!) on Amazon, but you might be able to hunt down a cheaper copy. It's where I got all my info and it is THE authourity on the subject
S/v ...Waves now 2022 $148 used.
There's always some genius that has to click the thumbs down button. Idiots.
Thanks for the great explanation on how this thing works.
Likely just part of the TH-cam logarithm letting you know they don't think anyone is perfect
Was it just tied to anyplace on the boom?
I do it the exact same way and my gps track shows it keeps course better than I do by hand.
I just might have a go with this .... thanks!
How many different bungee cords have you found you need? and,
Have you put together a chart for point of sail, wind speed, sea state, per bungee cord?
Thank you.
Good question why not everyone uses this system....in my case i just saw your video since i was watching all the expensive systems and i am going to wait for summer to try it out so that if i capsize the water would be a bit warm since i have a small 15 ft dingy......great job
So the only thing holding the boom/mainsheet in position is the spectra fiber?
I'm thinking;
- It must be, because otherwise the boom wouldn't move, and hence there would be no regulation, no steering.
- But still the forces on the spectra fiber and bungee cord must be quite big.
'Everyone' doesn't do it because most people want wheel steering and sheet to wheel steering doesn't work as well as tiller steering because of drag in the system, and also because a electronic button is easier.
Very ingenious !!! I'm reading on the Mister Vee and windsteer.com websites that self-steering doesn't work well on multihulls or boats that can "plane" due to constant acceleration and slowing down. I'm really interested in a 31-ft Corsair Trimaran, does that mean that I just stick with an autopilot and wind sensor ???
would this work on my 1973 Coronado 30 with a fin keel, That does not have a trim tab on the keel? everyone has been telling me I have to have a full keel, for it to work properly. also could you make a video show me how to run everything, and kinda keep it slow so I can make sure I have a grasp on it and don't screw it up? I'm slow at this stuff for some reason.
thanks,
Bill
Brilliant idea, though I will still be wearing a harness.
I think the mainsail has to be a tad overtrimmed in order for this to work. If the main is "perfectly" trimmed when the tiller is amidships, the tension will decrease when the boat heads up, and the shock cord will make the heading up even worse, so you will soon find yourself head to wind (bad). If it's overtrimmed, tension will increase when the boat heads up, and the boat will fall off the wind (good). Is this correct?
Thanks, I need to work on my sail trimming skills. Lol. I'm also plan on using a smaller main sail and raising the boom up so I can use my dobger when sailing. Would that mean I will have a hard time getting my sails trimmed right? Just wondering. If i can get this to work, it will be a big help. Thanks
Great instructions, I understand now.
Thanks
super thanks
Rollo Gebhard introduced it many years ago in one of his first books dealing with circumnavigation called "Seefieber". It is important to mention the real pioneers of sailing! Do not forget them! There are other sophisticated versions, which you can find if you google-search "Busca's sheet-to-tiller version". I decided to make a discription to show the components which are necessary to build your own set-up and what you need to buy or install at low costs. Take a look at www.shimaguni.de and search there for my eMail-address in "Impressum". I will send two pdf-files, if you are interested in DIY-sheet-to-tiller set-ups. .
Why does the tension in the mainsheet (or boom) increase when the boat comes closer to the wind? I would have thought the opposite was the case.
A gust of wind will make the sail fuller, more efficient and the boat will speed up. Coupled with the fact that the boat will also heel a little it will then round up to the wind. Meanwhile, the increased load on the mainsail (due to the gust) will tighten the main sheet pulling the tiller to windward which in turn will steer the boat away from the wind and back on course.
I have seen a couple setups that use a pair of double blocks etc coming off the boom and then running to the tiller, I assume to reduce the stress on the blocks/tiller? I have a 27' monohull Id like to use this on and would like to use the single block setup that you show here. Have you experienced in high winds excess stress on the tiller, the block, or the spectra line? What would you advise?
Sorry for the late reply. I have used the system shown in 30 knots and it worked well. I tend to heave to above 35 knots anyway, but if you want to keep going, it would still work but perhaps you should go up a size in spectra and blocks and bolt them through the coamings.
I have a Seabreeze 24 (catamaran) and was wondering if this self steering system you show on your video could be used for it.
+Ian Cardy absolutely!
so where is the main sheet attached? between the red line and the boom? just wondering how I get this to work when close hauled or when I want to trim in the main and change course.
thanks!
carboman2010 the mainsheet has to be slackened off for the control line to work. The bunji balances the pressure in the mainsail via the control line. When you change course, you need to set the system up again. Luckily this only takes a minute.
Just don't fall overboard when you try to climb out of that corner :D
dear sir
im assuming but only assuming that this system is being used without the main sheet on? is this correct. many thanks
a fellow sailor
Adrian North You got it! Actually if the boat is over-steering, you can restrict the amount of movement in the tiller by adjusting the mainsheet so that it will stop the control line at a certain point (usualy about 18 inches on Marutji)
Thank u sir.
I'd like to see a more detailed video,
+Mike Stone . Working on it Mike!
absolute nonsense. My boat is a fin keel and it works just fine. What you have to undestand is that many people are not interested in balancing their sail plan and sheet to tiller requires you to do this. It is much easier to whack the autopilot on (which will steer a compass course even if your boat is hopelessly badly trimmed) Balance your sails so that there is llittle pressure on the tiller and then set up up your sheet to tiller system and she will sail as if she is on rails. .
I think this is exactly what I am going to do next. Dos the bunge cord have to be at windward or leeward?
Bungy is to leeward.
I'm mystified as to how this system connects to the mainsheet. The video never gives a glimpse or even a verbal hint about it.
+Gene Neill Hi Gene. I actually connect to the boom directly. You can connect to the mainsheet (particularly if the boat is over steering connected to the boom). Just use a rolling hitch.
Is the traveller locked down or free running
So...would you leave to go sleep with this on VS with a windvane?
+jorgecornet . No, but then we always keep a 24 hour watch as a matter of course, regardless of steering
Help me out somebody, I'm not getting it... If the boat comes up into the wind won't the tension on the line REDUCE as the sails will want to start to flap. see 1:30. E.g. if you want to steer closer to the wind than a beam reach then as you turn into the wind more you have to pull in the mainsheet to take up the slack.
I had the same point of view as the one you have outlined. I couldn't figure out this method as it appeared to contradict my experience on the water. Here's my take on things; I realise now that the secret to this is that THE BOOM END IS NOT CLEATED OFF. Under normal sailing, the sheet from the boom end is cleated on the traveller. This is the reason why a gust of wind forces the bow up into the wind and the main flutters and looses power. (ie. the bow forced around due to the locked boom end). With the John Letcher method the boom end is not cleated off, instead you have a light control-line led from the boom end to the tiller. The tension in that control-line is balanced by a bungee of appropriate strength. Now, when a gust comes the boat does not round up, (because the boom is free,) and the light boom-line provides feedback to the tiller as in the vid. (The tension in the control line from the boom is matched by the tension in the bungee. The guy in the vid has several bungees of varying tension that allows him to balance the boom over a range of wind strengths).
I've thought about this, on and off, for a long time and this is the best I can come up with. Makes sense to me. Fair winds to you.
@@saturday7 Thanks for your thoughts on this - I may have to draw myself a diagram! - Best wishes
Anyway to rig with wheel instead of tiller?
Does it even work with tailwind?
What if you have to change the point of sailing?
how does it compare to wind vane?
How well does it work in a stronger breeze?
+Mike Stone . The stronger the breeze, the better it works - as long as you are not carrying too much sail. One of the absolutely non-negotiable things about sheet to tiller is that you must balance your sail plan. Not a bad habit to get into anyway!
what boat is it
Sorry, the book is by LEE Woas
Ma perche no.......