On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:26:28 GMT, "NE Sailboat"
wrote:

This goes back to 1974. The author, apparently wrote a book that shows how
to set this up..

I bought the book back in the 70s and could never get it to work
either. As Roger said, it might be feasible on a heavy, long keeled
boat that is reasonably well balanced, and sails in winds of steady
strength. My boat at the time was a 28 ft fin keeler that was very
susceptible to weather helm when heeled. It wouldn't self steer worth
a darn and I ended up buying a tiller pilot which we nicknamed "Otto",
as in, Otto pilot. It was one of the best cruising investments we
ever made and the only thing I kept when we bought a bigger boat in
the 80s.