Self-steering - Tiller Sail

[tholepin]

First - I tried this once last summer and it worked, but still has problems that need ironing out.  Second - this is not my idea, but I've forgotten where or when I heard about it.  That said; cut out a small triangular sail out of 1/4" plywood and bolt it to an aluminum adjustable telescopic pole. (My sail is 18" long by 12" high).  Don't let the sail hit the water.  Lash the end of the pole to the tiller and extend it so that the sail looks like a fish fin behind the boat.  By adjusting the pole, the sail can be extended, retracted, or feathered.  A length of shock cord or bungee cord runs from the tiller to the leeward coaming.  There are no sheets from the sails, so the cockpit stays uncluttered.

When the wind freshens, the tiller sail is immediately drawn to leeward and pushes the tiller windward slightly which cancels out the boat's tendency to heel and luff up.  When the wind eases, the shock cord returns the tiller to its original setting.  Down wind, if the weather helm increases, the tiller sail is assisted by some shock cord added to the windward side to the tiller to coaming.  "Tweak, and it shall work!"

Tholepin   

[newt]

Sounds interesting-pictures???

[Bob23]

Yes, Thole: 
   Photos would be appreciated. Have you tried this on a Compac 23?
bob23

[tholepin]

Hi guys, sorry - no pics.  My cp16 eats cameras.  It's only an adjustable aluminum tent pole with a triangular plywood bit through-bolted at one end; the other end lashed securely to the top of the tiller.  Tilt or cant the sail area to the breeze so you get just the amount of control you want.  Tie the shock cord off so she is sailing along her course.  In a puff, the wind on the plywood sail pushes the tiller to windward and spills the wind in the plywood sail.  This lever arm holds the course.  The further aft the sail is from the transom the greater the effort on the tiller.

It takes time to "get it right," and it probably looks silly as hell.  Cut the sail to the right shape and color and it would look like you're being chased by Jawz! 

I only played with the lash-up for a couple of hours and got it to work pretty well, even down wind.  Hope this word picture will do. 

Happy Halloween,  tholepin 

[Tim Gardner]

Here's a story & Drawing:



You coastal and great lakes sailors might do well with this arrangement.  There is really no such animal as a steady breeze for us mountain lake sailors.

This photo is on the CPYOA photobucket site (login as CPYOA PW: compac19)

tg

[tholepin]

That's It!  Do you have the name of the magazine or book you found that in?  I couldn't remember the name to google the idea.

Thank you!

tholepin

[newt]

Thanks Tim, that will go in my self steering library right next to Lecture's book.

[nicktulloh]

http://books.google.com/books?id=Lttwg2GTM9wC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=tiller+sail+tony+crowley&source=bl&ots=zLPpQLo6qF&sig=0KYzwz81qeVG_Iib8fyMkJOUyRM&hl=en&ei=SI6wTsadBOSz0QG6loWhAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=tiller%20sail%20tony%20crowley&f=false

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