Self Steering

If I'm ever going to go off shore for any length of time, one of the major prerequisites is a way to let the boat steer itself when I'm attending to other tasks associated with daily living. Being required to spend 24 hours a day at the tiller would effectively prohibit any long term voyages.

Conventional wisdom and every sailing magazine article on cruising from the last 15 years indicates that I should spend something on the order of $2,500 (plus installation) and purchase a wind vane. My concern with was the effect this purchase would have in weight distribution both in pounds of steel added to the boat and dollars subtracted out of pocket. With my outboard rudder and 90 pounds of Honda outboard engine already hanging off the transom, the thought of another 50 or 60 pounds of stainless steel on the stern was not appealing at all. Furthermore, the thought of spending $2,500 to $3,500 in preparation for a voyage that might never occur was even less appealing. Scouring the market for a used wind vane might relieve the budget crunch somewhat but the added weight on the transom would still be there.

When sailing my Com-Pac 19, I had heard about using the jib sheet to control the tiller; however, the details on how to set this up were sketchy at best. However, during the course of several Internet discussions, I found references to a book on Self Steering by John Lechter. While out of print, this book was relatively easy to find using the used book search sites. This book gave me some practical design advice on self steering using either the jib or the mainsheet as the controlling force. Further research on the Internet produced even more details and success stories of sheet to tiller self steering using the principles embodied in Lechter's book. Since all that was needed to implement this method was some small diameter line, a snatch block, a few snap shackles, and a few turning blocks, there was no reason not to experiment with this procedure for a bit.

I considered this to be an experiment in self-sufficiency. Even if I did eventually install a wind vane system, sheet to tiller steering experience would be a useful backup in the event that the wind vane system failed due to a mechanical problem.

The Basic Equipment

A 4 foot piece of amber latex 3/8 inch tubing
Four stainless steel quick links
One snatch block
Three Turning Blocks
Four snap shackles
One Stainless Steel Ring Bolt
Two small cleats (horn or cam type will do)
A length of 1/4 inch dacron double braid line (less than thirty feet)

The amber latex is first folded in half and a loop secured at the center with a nylon cable tie. The two ends are again folded in half and two more loops secured at the mid points with cable ties. The ends are then folded over into a loop and secured with cable ties. The end result is a single section of tubing in the shape of a letter "M" with a small loops at each of the points. Gather the top two loops together and secure them with a quick link. Then insert a quick link in each of the other three loops. The end result is a tension band that can be adjusted rapidly to provide one, two, three, or four times the force depending on what is needed to balance the tiller.

Each boat will need it's own unique rigging and attachment points. The photos show how my Flicka is rigged.

Click on the photos below to see an enlarged view and use the back button to return.

1) An over view of the cockpit

2) The tiller attachment close up

3) The snatch block on the Mainsheet

4) The snatch block on the Jib Sheet

Mainsheet control:

The amber tubing is attached to the tiller and positioned so that the tiller is pulled slightly to the lee of center when the tubing is relaxed. The snatch block is attached to the mainsheet's tackle and led to the tiller via a turning block and a 2:1 purchase system. This is tensioned via the cleat to bring the boat on course.

Jib Sheet Control:

Everything is as above except the snatch block rides the jib sheet between the genoa car and the winch. This requires an additional turning block positioned on the lifeline.

The results

On any point of sail other than a downwind run, this system will hold Solar Wind on a course as good as a human Helmsman. Certainly, it will do better than I can since I have a tendency to over correct and apply too much helm during course corrections. On a run, the course wanders somewhat with a plus minus of 5 to 10 degrees depending on the wind strength with higher wind producing a closer course. All in all, very acceptable for my needs and the total price is well within anyone's sailing budget.

This system is not an autopilot. It steers a steady course relative to the wind and will not compensate for shifting winds. Likewise, it is not capable of performing any of the recognized man overboard maneuvers. If you fall overboard, wave the boat good bye - better yet, always use a sailing harness to keep you and the boat together as a happy couple when sailing singlehanded.

I have noticed some significant deterioration of the tubing after 4 weeks continuous service in the bright sunshine of a Florida summer so I suspect that the tubing will require routine replacement. As a result, I have a spare set of tubing already constructed as the main spare component. Future enhancements will include a sunbrella covering to prevent this rapid deterioration.

This page was last updated on June 24, 2001 07:28 PM

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