Thank you for this video. I live on an Alberg 30 and have been using sheet-to-tiller self steering for several years. I sail single handed several times every week and still it took me many months and much trial and error practice to become proficient. This has become one of my most useful and rewarding seamanship skills. A shame is that a few hours of (unavailable) instruction could save months of trial and error learning. Sheet-to-tiller has also taught me to be a better sailor because now I am much more attentive to having a balanced helm and strive to use the rudder more as a trim tab than a barn door. BTW: speargun rubbers and wishbone inserts make excellent elastics.
Rules: (Balance the boat first.) 1. Control line to weather side. 2. Elastic always to the Leeward side. 3. If luffing add more elastic and control line. 4. If falling off wind elastic and control line are lessened. 5. Elastic pulls tiller to center or slightly Leeward.
In the days before elastic (not that I remember) they could hang a heavy weight on a rope and block for provide moving tension. A 5kg water bottle could be interesting to try with :) I wonder if there are advantages of using mass rather than elastic. I hope to experiment!
Good description. If doing this in a small sailboat, I have a 18 ft Hartley, when everything is balanced i can sit on the cabin top and steer by shifting my sitting position. This has a lot to with the forward hull shape of the Hartley. I have steered sheet to tiller for hours on end. Although small incremental adjustments are necessary. Happy sailing. Thanks
Certainly cheaper than purchasing an expensive wind vane steering system, which also needs boat to be balanced, and requires adjustment with wind changes, but vane system can offer a redundant rudder should you suffer a failure on your main one. Have watched some of your video's and feel this is something worth learning to master. I don't even have a boat yet, but will be giving it a try when I do.
Awesome! Thanks. I am thinking about making another animation video with more detail at some point since this one was so well received. If you could leave a review on the book after you read it on amazon that would be great, I don't have many and someone left a one star review saying that it was just a rehash of info widely available on the internet. It makes my book look bad. The point of the book is to make it easier to figure out sheet to tiller while you're actively trying to make it work, so of course the information is other places as well, but the book is meant to make it easier to actively learn how to use it. Which can be hard to do while sailing because it can be quite unintuitive. Thanks for your support I appreciate it!
Genius video. Really simplifies the entire exercise. Might I suggest a new video using a similar, simplified approach on the topic of what makes women tick. Thanks in advance.
Nicely explained! I have been reading Letcher's 'Self Steering for Sailing Craft' a lot lately as I get my boat ready to cruise. It's a good book if you can find it! I like what you are doing with your book. It is time for an updated sheet to tiller book and these videos are super helpful! I hope you continue to make more for other points of sail. My only gripe is the volume on this video is quite low, maybe you can boost it up a little? ⛵
I didn't know it was too low, I'll make sure to make it higher for future videos. I would like to make videos for each point of sail. Glad you like it!
@@toroddlnning6806 perhaps, it could possibly be done, but I think it would be redundant. If you have a windvane, sheet to tiller is a very archaic method in comparison.
I will get another video on other points of sail eventually, I've been busy getting my boat ready to sail from Utila to Panama, There will be some real time explanations in there. Essentially what you want to do it get the boat trimmed for the point of sail you want and then set the system up so it will pull the tiller to weather when the boat heads into the wind and elastic will pull the tiller to leeward when the boat falls off. Thanks for your comment
Sorry but this doesn't appear to make any sense at all. By apparent wind are you referring to angle or speed? Why is the boom moving? If someone is doing that they can be steering. As apparent wind moves forward (luffing) that reduces not increases pressure on the sails. Max pressure on sails/sheets is perpendicular to the wind. I'm sure it works but I don't see that this explains how.
the sail never reaches the point of luffing. As the apparent wind increases (the boat goes upwind more) the sail has more power. More wind = more power. So the sail experiences more wind from an increase in apparent wind and it pulls on the sheet harder and moves the tiller to cause the boat to head to leeward. As the bow falls off the wind (goes more downwind) the apparent wind decreases, and loses power. Since it loses power it is pulling less on the tiller and the bungee overpowers the control line moving the tiller to bring the boat back up into the apparent wind. It's all a balance. The way you are thinking about it is how I originally thought it worked, but it's all about apparent wind.
@@sheettotiller Yes you like the phrase "apparent wind" but that's not how apparent wind works. If you're overpowered you reduce power by heading up. There's briefly more apparent wind speed but at a reduced angle so less load on the sheet. I could understand less load on the sheet allowing the bungee to move the tiller but can't see that an _increase_ in load on a sheet already at full extension can cause anything to move. But, however you like to explain it if it works it works.
Thank you for this video. I live on an Alberg 30 and have been using sheet-to-tiller self steering for several years. I sail single handed several times every week and still it took me many months and much trial and error practice to become proficient. This has become one of my most useful and rewarding seamanship skills. A shame is that a few hours of (unavailable) instruction could save months of trial and error learning. Sheet-to-tiller has also taught me to be a better sailor because now I am much more attentive to having a balanced helm and strive to use the rudder more as a trim tab than a barn door. BTW: speargun rubbers and wishbone inserts make excellent elastics.
Wishbone inserts🤔
I just finished reading your book. I think it is very well written and organized. It is a good companion to your videos.
Thanks! glad you enjoyed it.
Rules:
(Balance the boat first.)
1. Control line to weather side.
2. Elastic always to the Leeward side.
3. If luffing add more elastic and control line.
4. If falling off wind elastic and control line are lessened.
5. Elastic pulls tiller to center or slightly Leeward.
In the days before elastic (not that I remember) they could hang a heavy weight on a rope and block for provide moving tension. A 5kg water bottle could be interesting to try with :) I wonder if there are advantages of using mass rather than elastic. I hope to experiment!
wow! thats really interesting, thanks for commenting. Let me know how it goes, I may give it a try myself! the elastic dies in the sun i know that.
Good description. If doing this in a small sailboat, I have a 18 ft Hartley, when everything is balanced i can sit on the cabin top and steer by shifting my sitting position. This has a lot to with the forward hull shape of the Hartley. I have steered sheet to tiller for hours on end. Although small incremental adjustments are necessary. Happy sailing. Thanks
Glad you liked it! I'm thinking about making a series on it that goes more in depth so people can get a better understanding.
Certainly cheaper than purchasing an expensive wind vane steering system, which also needs boat to be balanced, and requires adjustment with wind changes, but vane system can offer a redundant rudder should you suffer a failure on your main one. Have watched some of your video's and feel this is something worth learning to master. I don't even have a boat yet, but will be giving it a try when I do.
Awesome! I think it is a very good thing to know if your main self steering system malfunctions. Thanks for the comment
I've tried STT a couple of times, still experimenting. Thanks for this - and just ordered your book.
Awesome! Hopefully it helps you with the process. Thanks
Great tutorial! I’m ordering your book and the gear to ween my Montgomery 17 off electric!
Awesome! Thanks. I am thinking about making another animation video with more detail at some point since this one was so well received. If you could leave a review on the book after you read it on amazon that would be great, I don't have many and someone left a one star review saying that it was just a rehash of info widely available on the internet. It makes my book look bad. The point of the book is to make it easier to figure out sheet to tiller while you're actively trying to make it work, so of course the information is other places as well, but the book is meant to make it easier to actively learn how to use it. Which can be hard to do while sailing because it can be quite unintuitive. Thanks for your support I appreciate it!
Genius video. Really simplifies the entire exercise. Might I suggest a new video using a similar, simplified approach on the topic of what makes women tick. Thanks in advance.
Brilliant sharing knowledge. Thank you
I enjoyed your video, and just purchased your book.
Thanks!
Nicely explained! I have been reading Letcher's 'Self Steering for Sailing Craft' a lot lately as I get my boat ready to cruise. It's a good book if you can find it! I like what you are doing with your book. It is time for an updated sheet to tiller book and these videos are super helpful! I hope you continue to make more for other points of sail.
My only gripe is the volume on this video is quite low, maybe you can boost it up a little?
⛵
I didn't know it was too low, I'll make sure to make it higher for future videos. I would like to make videos for each point of sail. Glad you like it!
@@sheettotiller can you combine it with a windvane?
@@toroddlnning6806 perhaps, it could possibly be done, but I think it would be redundant. If you have a windvane, sheet to tiller is a very archaic method in comparison.
@@sheettotiller ok, mby in combinationg with a differential gear.
This is a really well done video. Are there other tiller and line steering techniques for other points of sail, or tacking?
I will get another video on other points of sail eventually, I've been busy getting my boat ready to sail from Utila to Panama, There will be some real time explanations in there.
Essentially what you want to do it get the boat trimmed for the point of sail you want and then set the system up so it will pull the tiller to weather when the boat heads into the wind and elastic will pull the tiller to leeward when the boat falls off.
Thanks for your comment
👍👍🙂
man, I totally would have bought one of your kits if you were still selling them.
Sorry but this doesn't appear to make any sense at all. By apparent wind are you referring to angle or speed? Why is the boom moving? If someone is doing that they can be steering. As apparent wind moves forward (luffing) that reduces not increases pressure on the sails. Max pressure on sails/sheets is perpendicular to the wind. I'm sure it works but I don't see that this explains how.
the sail never reaches the point of luffing. As the apparent wind increases (the boat goes upwind more) the sail has more power. More wind = more power. So the sail experiences more wind from an increase in apparent wind and it pulls on the sheet harder and moves the tiller to cause the boat to head to leeward. As the bow falls off the wind (goes more downwind) the apparent wind decreases, and loses power. Since it loses power it is pulling less on the tiller and the bungee overpowers the control line moving the tiller to bring the boat back up into the apparent wind. It's all a balance. The way you are thinking about it is how I originally thought it worked, but it's all about apparent wind.
@@sheettotiller Yes you like the phrase "apparent wind" but that's not how apparent wind works. If you're overpowered you reduce power by heading up. There's briefly more apparent wind speed but at a reduced angle so less load on the sheet. I could understand less load on the sheet allowing the bungee to move the tiller but can't see that an _increase_ in load on a sheet already at full extension can cause anything to move. But, however you like to explain it if it works it works.