Re: Self Steering

From: GSTahoe@aol.com
Date: Fri Jan 21 2000 - 11:43:14 PST


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In a message dated 1/20/00 6:03:00 PM Pacific Standard Time,
lbaum@preferred.com writes:

<< Often when
 motoring and raising sail I will steer in this manner just to keep the boat
 on a relatively straight course. I sail on a fairly small lake so if it
 bears off too much I have to reach and grab the tiller or since my self
 steering consists of a jam cleat on the bottom of the tiller with a bungee
 running between the rear horn cleats and jamed in the jam cleat, sometimes I
 can just reach back with my foot and strech the bungee a little to get back
 on course. (I got the idea for the self steering mod. from the book HANDBOOK
 OF TRAILER SAILING by Burgess) >>

Lewis,

That sounds like a really good idea. So good that when it warms up enough to
get out on the water, I am going to try to add this little feature to my
regular Tiller Tamer. I think I will add a section of bungee rubber or
perhaps some surgical tube to the Tiller Tamer lines, which I tie off to the
aft horn cleats. Then when I want to correct course I will not have to
loosen the friction screw that secures the tiller for a minor course
correction.

By the way, before anyone has the chance to remind me, I know that tying the
Tiller Tamer lines to the aft horn cleats causes the lines to be at a little
less than the desirable forty-five degree angle. It works fine. The only
time I use the Tiller Tamer to hold the tiller hard over is when I am at
anchor and I then use it to keep the tiller to one side or the other so that
it's not in the way while I do whatever it is that I'm doing in the cockpit
while at anchor. When I do that, I disconnect one side of the lines and use
the other line to hold the tiller over. In most cases, the Tiller Tamer is
used to hold the tiller amidships while sailing or motoring or it is used to
secure the tiller if I am trailering with the rudder mounted, which I do for
short trips.

Thanks for another good idea!

Geoff

P-15 Lollipop
Sail (hull?) number: 1961
N. Lake Tahoe, NV and
Monterey, CA



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