In article ,
DSK wrote:
Jonathan Ganz wrote
I use a "tiller tamer" on my boat. It usually gives me 30 seconds to
a minute of hands off to do stuff in higher winds and longer in
lighter winds. Nothing electronic about it... best investment I ever
made for single handing.


Dave wrote:
I looked at one at the local West Marine store, and asked myself what it
would give me that my line running across the cockpit with a loop in the
middle for the tiller and doesn't give me.

I used a piece of heavy shock cord for the same thing. Holds the tiller
securely, can be adjusted to self-steer under many conditions, and you
can steer the boat fully with it connected. Not only that, it returns
the helm to center (or close to it, wherever you had it adjusted to)
quickly & positively... something which that particular boat would not do.

I've been thinking about trying that also. The thing I don't like
about the tiller tender is that it doesn't return to center by itself.
It would be nice to figure a way to do both... have it adjustible to
tend to one side or the other, but also tend to move to the center.
--
Jonathan Ganz (j gan z @ $ail no w.c=o=m)
http://www.sailnow.com
"If there's no wind, row."