On 11/15/2016 10:02 AM, bownez@juno.com wrote: Hi Bones, You can buy various diameters if surgical tubing at a medical supply house. 1/4" diameter is probably a good size to start with. You can always double it up (two strands); or go to three strands if you find that you need a bit more strength. The "bible" I used when playing the sheet-to-tiller game was John Letchers book on self steering. John used this technique when sailing his boat from Hawaii back to the West Coast. (available from AMAZON) I had built a wind vane self steering system for our T-L 29, but when I used it the cockpit was criss-crossed with lines and the Admirable had difficulty lying down on a cockpit cushion and improving her suntan. So, the next thing to try was sheet to till steering. It worked very nicely; eliminated all the lines crossing the cockpit, resulting in a happy Admirable, so I stayed with that for years. The basic principle is: you pull a bight in the jib / genoa sheet. Attach a small line there; run it across the cockpit to a block and back to the tiller. The surgical tubing attaches to the other side of the cockpit and is a loop is dropped over the end of the tiller. Now you have to get on your course; attach the line to the tiller; and balance the pull of the line to the sheet bight (dependent on wind strength) with the stretched surgical tubing. If your boat now changes heading, the load on the sheet changes. The surgical tubing now pulls the tiller which causes the boat to head up. As the boat gets back on course the sheet pressure builds; stretching the surgical tubing and pulling the tiller. Eventually a balance of forces is achieved and you are back on course. When we sailed from Watch Hill, RI to Block Island (about 24 NM) I'd set up my sheet to tiller steering, and it would hold a good course to Block Island. Happy playing with a new toy. Connie
Hello Listers,
I plan on experimenting with self steering for the M17 this spring. I know the basic set-up, and I understand it requires a lot of testing, adjusting, positioning. etc. Todd Mills was the true expert on this, I don't know if he stills monitors the site.
Anyway, I know surgical tubing is the way to go for the spring tension, but, I do not know the size to buy. Anyone played with this and can clue me as to what to order?
Thanks,
Mr. Bones ____________________________________________________________ How To Fix Your Fatigue (Do This Every Day) gundrymd.com http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/582b31f0b06e631f04877st03vuc