Tom ,, after all the posts here and the usual fun arguing ( Roger and Me )
,, I got to working on my single hand sailing whatevers.

So far .. get some lines with set up for docking by myself. And I am
searching for some method of self steering. I've looked at all the usual
suspects. Monitor, Aries, etc. I also ordered and read John Lechers book
about the subject. The sheet to tiller setup. I did this last summer a
little but I will give it another go this summer.

The windvane system is more tricky. For a boat my size, 32', weight becomes
an issue. I don't want to have hundreds of LBS sitting on my stern. Heck,
my stern isn't that big.

Since I have a tiller .. that is a good thing ...... I can set up a very
simple system with a pendulum. Run lines through blocks to the tiller.

The question becomes ???????? what system.

Working on that one.

==============

ps.. I won't use an electric self steerer. Don't have the power and I hate
the whole thought of them. Gotta go narural.

--
"Tom Lightbody" wrote in message
...
JohnM wrote:

...single handed cruising...

look first to your self-steering device
the boat should be pointed at both ends
then look at your strength: no sail bigger than
500ft^2 (uffa fox)

tom

NE Sailboat wrote:
The windvane system is more tricky. For a boat my size, 32', weight becomes
an issue. I don't want to have hundreds of LBS sitting on my stern.

They are nowhere near that heavy. I don't have the specs here in front
of me, but having lifted our Monitor up over the rail a couple of times,
I'd say that it's gotta be about 50 lbs., possible less. The RVG
windvane we had on our Catalina 30 (no longer made) was about the same
and didn't noticeably affect performance. It just made those long
passages MUCH more enjoyable.

Since I have a tiller...

The windvanes are great for long passages, but since you've got a
tiller, if I were you, I get myself a tiller pilot. These are cheap and
make going forward to raise sails, etc., easy. Our Catalina (which also
had a tiller) could not have been single handed without one. Within
seconds after letting go of the helm while motoring, it would be in a
tight turn, sometimes to port, sometimes to starboard. The helm was
very light, but that boat just liked to turn. Using a tiller pilot made
it a snap to single hand.

Dan Best wrote:

The windvanes are great for long passages, but since you've got a
tiller, if I were you, I get myself a tiller pilot.

I should have said that I get the tiller pilot also. I'm afraid that I
didn't make that clear in my earlier post and it could have been
construed to be that I was recommending against the windvane. I am not.
I would strongly recommend that you have BOTH a tiller pilot and a
windvane. Not only does the tiller pilot make it easier to go forward
when single handing, but when the wind dies and you choose to motor, the
windvane is of no use, so if unless you want to hand steer, you'll need
the TP.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear the first time

Check http://www.thesailingchannel.com/uss...rn_ussbs05.htm

"Dan Best" wrote in message
...
Dan Best wrote:

The windvanes are great for long passages, but since you've got a tiller,
if I were you, I get myself a tiller pilot.

I should have said that I get the tiller pilot also. I'm afraid that I
didn't make that clear in my earlier post and it could have been construed
to be that I was recommending against the windvane. I am not. I would
strongly recommend that you have BOTH a tiller pilot and a windvane. Not
only does the tiller pilot make it easier to go forward when single
handing, but when the wind dies and you choose to motor, the windvane is
of no use, so if unless you want to hand steer, you'll need the TP.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear the first time

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:54:14 -0800, Dan Best
wrote:

I would strongly recommend that you have BOTH a tiller pilot and a
windvane.

That's a good plan for serious cruising.

Power is not an issue because typically the engine will be running in
the conditions where the tiller pilot is most useful.

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 21:00:47 -0500, Wayne.B wrote:

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:54:14 -0800, Dan Best
wrote:

I would strongly recommend that you have BOTH a tiller pilot and a
windvane.

That's a good plan for serious cruising.

Power is not an issue because typically the engine will be running in
the conditions where the tiller pilot is most useful.

I agree. After using an autopilot after years without one, it's
hard to go back. Sailing is different, but motoring without an autopilot
is like driving the Interstate without cruise control.

Matt O.

NE Sailboat wrote:
Tom ,, after all the posts here and the usual fun arguing ( Roger and Me )
,, I got to working on my single hand sailing whatevers.

So far .. get some lines with set up for docking by myself. And I am
searching for some method of self steering. I've looked at all the usual
suspects. Monitor, Aries, etc. I also ordered and read John Lechers book
about the subject. The sheet to tiller setup. I did this last summer a
little but I will give it another go this summer.

The windvane system is more tricky. For a boat my size, 32', weight becomes
an issue. I don't want to have hundreds of LBS sitting on my stern. Heck,
my stern isn't that big.

Since I have a tiller .. that is a good thing ...... I can set up a very
simple system with a pendulum. Run lines through blocks to the tiller.

The question becomes ???????? what system.

Working on that one.

==============

ps.. I won't use an electric self steerer. Don't have the power and I hate
the whole thought of them. Gotta go narural.

--
"Tom Lightbody" wrote in message
...
JohnM wrote:

...single handed cruising...
look first to your self-steering device
the boat should be pointed at both ends
then look at your strength: no sail bigger than
500ft^2 (uffa fox)

tom



Keep us informed.
G

A pair of bungees will hold the tiller near center. A long light line
tied to the tiller, led around the gunnels to the forepeak via blocks
and back again, tied to the other side of the tiller, will give you a
very handy monkey to keep the tiller more or less centre or enable a
correction from anywhere on the boat. Going forward, you can pull the
line along the gunnel fore and aft to pull the tiller one way or the
other. So, you can steer from the foredeck, standing on the tiller line
while you work if needs must. Could also work for a wheel.

I saw this first in a rented motor launch in 1956 in Horseshoe bay. I
was a boy.

A similar setup could handle the gearshift, no?

At sea, you would do best by also having Annie Lectric helm, if only
for dire straights when you really want a backup.

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

Terry K

In article . com,
"Terry K" wrote:

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

That would make it worse. Our original rudder was *very* heavy and gave
me a good work out in even moderate conditions. I built a new thinner
one, with the leading edge about 20% ahead of the pintles and now have a
very light helm.

Re-reading: If she veers when you're close hauled, you probably have
the main sheeted in too hard. Ease out until the efforts are balanced
out. Even our Xan, who has basically zero directional stability, will
hold close hauled on her own for a while.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Simple question .... do you 'really' know how to 'shape' your sails?

Most helm problems are more due to poorly shaped sails than (mast rake,
or rudder shape), etc.

If you simply 'raise' the sails into position and then NOT stretch out
the luff 'preload' that the sailmaker originallly put into the sail
then you WILL get especially weather helm. Especially sail with
'boltropes' .... a three strand rope enclosed in a sleeve at the luff
of the sail, you need to remove the 'preload' to get a sail to 'set'
properly. Most kroozers have absolutely NO idea that a sail must be
'stretched' on the luff to offset the preload.
A simple 'rule of thumb' is that a boltroped sail MUST be additionally
stretched on its luff by 1 inch for every 10 ft. of luff length so that
the 'shape' is proper at the maximum design wind range (usually 15-16
knots) or...... the sail's posiition of maxium draft will be too far
aft, the leech will be hooked to windward, and the sail will be 'too
full' .... and these ALL contribute to adverse weather helm.

If you have adverse weather helm, simply go forward and keep tensioning
the HALYARD until the boat has a balanced helm, then slightly loosen so
that the rudder needs only 2-3 degrees of offset (rudder angles ever so
slightly to leeward) to hold the course. If you are intending
absolute 'speed sailing' then leave the rudder with NO helm ... but the
boat then will NOT head up if you let go of the helm.

You can almost always tell that a kroozer has no idea of how to 'shape'
a sail .... their booms are always lower at the aft end .... because
they NEVER properly stretch out the luff of the mainsail to counteract
the original 'preload' that the sailmaker put into a sail. The preload
is there so that all the stress at the maximum designed wind load is
taken up by the ROPE instead of the sailcloth.

Put some 'strain' into that halyard and see what magically happens
!!!!!!! Try 'stretching outy the luff' with heavy halyard tension and
see what happens to your 'helm' .... and before you start modifying the
rudder, etc. Dont exceed 1" of additional strain for every 10 ft. of
luff length. If that procedure doesnt solve most of your 'helm
problems' consider to take the sail to a sailmaker and have the
boltrope "eased" .... as ALL boltropes SHRINK over time. If yours is
an OLD sail that has seen many hours of service, then also think about
getting that shrunken bolt rope readjusted. If you are handy with a
sailmakers needle and palm let me know as I will give instructions on
how to properly 'ease' the boltrope.


Hope this helps.


In article , Jere
Lull wrote:

In article . com,
"Terry K" wrote:

My short bilge keel setup seems to have a mind of it's own, the rudder
is overbalanced in all conditions, she veers as soon as you let go.

Perhaps I should shave the leading edge of the rudder, or stick on a
tail?

That would make it worse. Our original rudder was *very* heavy and gave
me a good work out in even moderate conditions. I built a new thinner
one, with the leading edge about 20% ahead of the pintles and now have a
very light helm.

Re-reading: If she veers when you're close hauled, you probably have
the main sheeted in too hard. Ease out until the efforts are balanced
out. Even our Xan, who has basically zero directional stability, will
hold close hauled on her own for a while.