Self Steering Gear

We have just launched a jib sheet to tiller self steering gear.

Basically the jib sheet winch is mounted on a hinged platform. The tension in the jib sheet pulls it forward, and this is balanced by a spring made from shock cord pulling in the opposite direction. Luffs and puffs are transmitted to the tiller via a linkage. It works superbly on all points of siling and almost all wind condiotions. It even works with a spinnaker. More details on our website: www.steersman.net

 

All the older boats from my earlier days used to take a sheet from the jib/staysail boom across the boat to the tiller, 2 blocks no patent and works well.

Jim

 

There are several problems with the old system of sheet to tiller.

1. The pull on the sheet is sideways which reduces the sail efficiency.

2. How much sideways pull do you need? Every time you set it up the pull is different, even for the same point of sailing, with the same wind strength. This makes it difficult to use. Some long distant sailors say that it takes several days before they get the knack of it. I have had reports of people just giving up on it.

3. The pull of the steering rope effectively shares the sails pull with the sheet, so once the steering has been set up, the jib sheet needs to be adjusted, which affects the tension in the steering rope, which should then itself be re-adjusted etc etc etc.

4. We have discovered with the Steersman that on certain points of sailing with the wind on the quarter, the rules for steering reverse themselves. With the Steersman, this is obvious when this happens, and the jib sheet and shock cord spring can be swapped round. With the old system this is much more difficult to deturmine because of the load sharing with the sheet - see point 2.

5. I may be wrong, but I have never heard of the old system being used with a spinnaker. You can with the Steersman.

6. The old system uses the main sheet for some points of sailing. This means that it cannot be used whilst reefing the mainsail, an essential feature when sailing short handed. The Steersman just uses the jib sheet, so reefing the main is unaffected.

I hope this helps to clarify


Rob Chicken

 

On the subject of point one. As far as I know, you can’t pull a line sideways. The sheet is attached to the tiller after it goes past the lead blocks and the tiller does not change the trim angle that the headsail makes with the centerline or the height of the clew. The position of the lead blocks and sheet tension will determine the sail trim.

Point two, I have used the sheet to tiller system, and it depends on the shape of the boat to succeed. If the distribution of volume changes excessively as the boat rolls then the center of lateral plane changes as the boat trims, the mast will rake and the center of effort will move longitudinally so the boat will not track. The center of effort and the center of lateral plane need to stay in the same relative position as the boat rolls to have a boat that will track well. This is why some modern boats with the center of buoyancy so far aft will have self-steering problems with or without a wind-vane system. On a suitable boat, it’s easy to set up and use sheet to tiller. On a poor choice of boat, it’s imposable to get it to work. I think that if you want to do offshore work in small boats (under 30-feet) and avoid a wind-vane system you need to select a suitable boat and keep the systems simple.

Point three, put a block at the clew and you have a double-ended sheet. You can trim the sail with one end and adjust the tiller with the other end. The best fine-tuning on the tiller is to adjust the attachment point so the line has more or less of a lever arm from the rudderpost. A small boat offshore is not rigged the same way a day-sailor is rigged.

Point four. You just need to learn to use the system and know when to make the switch to twin headsails with the sheets leading to both sides of the tiller. Again, you need to have a suitable boat.

Point five. I have only used a spinnaker when single-handed on my smaller boats. The most notable was an Atlantic crossing in a 22-foot Carl Alberg design, the Sea Sprite. I had no wind vane and only used boat trim or a sheet to tiller system. I had no trouble using a spinnaker, but keep in mind that I was very conservative about the choice of wind speed and relative wind direction. I was not a racer and was not willing to take any chances with damaging the rig or sails.

Point six. What do you do when you have the trysail up and no jib? It’s important to learn to get the boat to self-steer under all conditions including under storm conditions.

The sheet to tiller system lends itself to well-balanced boats that are under 30 feet or so in length. It is not suitable for all boats and all types of sailing. This is only one person’s opinion, but I think a servo-pendulum system or something similar is needed on boats larger the 30 feet. I can think of many situations where you do not have a jib up, and you want self-steering. I don’t know any thing about your system and it’s not my intention to pan it, but I am opposed to gadgets and complications. If the boat is well designed and rigged correctly then you need not spend your money on things like this.
Robert Gainer

 

Hi Robert Gainer

I wish you could come and sail with us and see the Steersman working, I think you would see the flexibility that it displays. This is not a gimmiky new idea, it is a real practical application of the sheet to tiller system.

On point one. Traditional sheet to tiller - The diagrams I have seen using the jib sheet show a line attached to jib sheet half way between the clew and the runner on the side deck, then running across the boat to windward, round a block, then running aft to another block positioned half way along the cockpit, then down to the tiller, and there is a shock cord arangement attached to the other side of the tiller to react to the load.

This means that any adjustmnt will pull the jib sideways into the centre of the boat which will affect the tension in the jib sheet and the performace of the jib. Adding in more blocks to overcome this will surely over complicate the system. And what do you do when you tack?

On point 2. I can't see how the steersman could not work on any boat. It relies on the way the wind works in the sails, and this must be the same on any boat. As far as balance is concerned, the Steersman still works with the boat slightly out of balance, although it does go wrong if the boat is badly out. You seem to suggest that the Steersman is complicated. It is certainly not complicated to use. You simply set the sails, set the tension in the shock cord spring, release the lock, (it will only release when the load in the shock cord roughly balances the load in the jib sheet) then attach the tiller arm to link it up. A few minutes observation will show if the boat gradually luffs up to wind. or drifts down wind. Tension in the shock is adjusted accordingly by increasing, or decreasing the number shock cords in the spring, and for fine adjustment using the jam cleat. And that's it.

Point 3 The Steersman will work with any rig.

Point 4. I'm sure its possible to successfully use the traditional sheet to tiller system, but the feedback I get is that it is not easy to learn. The Steersman is a product which we hope will have a wider appeal.

Point 5 We found the spinnaker a little tricky to set up at first, particularly in light wind, it needs a light shock cord with plenty of tension. Once we had it set up, we felt completely confident with it. The same applies to goosewing sailing.

Point 6. No you are correct, the Steersman is not designed to work with a trisail, but I'm sure it could be adapted to.

The Steersman is designed to work with boats up to 30ft, simply because that is the length of my boat. There is no reason why it should not work with larger boats, and it is our intention to develop such a system next year, and to include the ability to work with wheel steering.

I understand your sceptism about the Steersman, but it really does work well. For my mind it is a neater design than a windvane system, and because it is positioned in the cockpit it does not affect the trim of the boat. Its a genuinely useful bit of kit, we have even used it when motor sailing, it stops you getting tired from helming, it doesn't drain the batteries, and even makes the tea (not).

I appreciate it may seem expensive, but nothing is cheap in sailing. Bear in mind that it will last the life of the boat, it doesn't get in the way and it will always be ready to use. Nothing to set up or worry about, except maybe replace the shock cords after 5-10 years, and a drop of grease in the bearing every couple of years is a good idea.

But thanks for the feedback

Rob Chicken

 

Rob, you say “Traditional sheet to tiller - The diagrams I have seen using the jib sheet show a line attached to jib sheet half way between the clew and the runner on the side deck, then running across the boat to windward, round a block, then running aft to another block positioned half way along the cockpit, then down to the tiller, and there is a shock cord arangement attached to the other side of the tiller to react to the load”.

Now I understand you comments about the jib trim. I did not think of the system you are describing. I used the sheet straight to the tiller with shock-cord on the other side. The adjustment for steering trim was where I attached the tiller line and how many shock-cords I used to counterbalance the pull of the sheet.

You went on to say, “The Steersman is designed to work with boats up to 30ft, simply because that is the length of my boat.”

I used a 30-foot cutoff for sheet to tiller only because that’s what my experience is. On larger boats I have had Navik, Aris or Monitor. I understand that larger boats have used sheet to tiller but it’s outside of my own experience.

You then went on to say “and even makes the tea (not).”

That got my attention, and if it could do that, I would be interested in trying it out.

You finish by commenting, “nothing is cheap in sailing.”

That unfortunately true, but you don’t want to speed more then you need just to accomplish the job. I think the Navik is around 2 thousand and you are almost twice that.

How does the system handle gusty days? Does it react to a puff as if the boat had turned and then it overcorrects?

I went to your website and could not run the short film clips that you have. I don’t know if it has something to do with the network setting on our company network. Can you send me copies of this and are any of the units in the United States yet. I would like to see one.
Thanks and all the best,

Robert Gainer
Program Director, Boatbuilding
Hudson Fisheries Trust
197 Maine Street
Beacon, New York 12508

www.fisheriestrust.org

robert_gainer "at" fisheriestrust.org

 

Hi Rob

I am putting the videos into a different format on the website which I hope will work this time. This should be ready in the next few days.

As regards the price, I appreciate your concerns, we are looking again at our costings very carefully, and hope we can make an announcemant very soon.

I see you compared the Steersman to the Navik. I percieve the Steersman as a very different animal to windvane systems, with specific benefits, which should be taken into account when looking to buy.

For example, one of the major problems with any windvane system on a small boat is that it puts all the weight in the wrong place, which upsets the trim, and increases pitch, very uncomfortable.

In my opinion, and I admit I'm prejudice, the Steersman is a far more attractive product than a windvane, or an autohelm system. You don't have to drill holes in the stern of your boat as you do with a windvane system, and it doesn't drain the batteries as an autohelm does. It fits neatly in the cockpit, and doesn't get in the way.

Thanks again for the feedback

I'm sorry it doesn't make the tea, and unfortunately we don't have one in the USA yet.

Rob

 

"For example, one of the major problems with any windvane system on a small boat is that it puts all the weight in the wrong place, which upsets the trim, and increases pitch, very uncomfortable."

Thats a really TINY boat if the weight of an Aires is going to drag the stern down.

The Aires
has a considerablre advantage your system doesnt have.

When sailing downwind , as a sea pushes the stern off , the steering oar gets displaced by the boats movement.

This causes the proper corecting tiller command , even BEFORE the wind sensor "sees" the course change.

For ocean work , nothing seems able to steer this well , except a fresh motivated experienced helmsman. And there hard to come by after the first week or two underway!!

FAST FRED

 

Down wind

Hi Fast Fred

Thanks for the feedback. I think in some ways you are right about downwind sailing. Boats tend to pivot about their centre of gravity, and a normal sloop rigged boat has its centre of gravity at about the positition of the mast, so a steering system positioned behind the stern of the boat will provide a long lever arm, and will therefore need a mimumum force to have a turning effect.

One thing that puzzles me though, the further down wind you sail, the apparant wind on the boat becomes less and less, and can drop to zero on a dead run. In this case, surely the wind vane would become less, if not totally ineffective?

I know the Steersman uses all the wind available, and keeps on steering even though you can feel no wind in the cockpit, although I have to admit that it starts to fail on actual wind speeds of less than about 4 knots. I would be interested to know how that compares with a wind vane system.

In generaI think that when you are looking to buy a new product, you probably need to look at all the features before making up your mind. You may be right about the down wind characteristics of your Aries, it is a good product, and has a long successful history. I would argue however, that even if a windvane system is better downwind, the Steersman is better up wind, because it naturally luffs up in a gust, which, I think you'll agree, is an important safety feature to be considered.

I hope this helps

Rob Chicken

 

"the Steersman is better up wind, because it naturally luffs up in a gust, which, I think you'll agree, is an important safety feature to be considered.+

Sorta depends on the boat , lead sleds power for the luls , as the gusts are no hassle,

multihulls power for the gusts as the luls offer no danger of capsize.

When there is NO wind the boat won't sail , but if there is even a tiny bit the Aires will run the boat on a TILLER. Ballbearing blocks (Harken or similar,) and SOFT tiller line required.

There is frequently too much mass and resistance in wheel steering for really light weather work.

Some folks use the water paddle , controlled by a cheapo push pull tiller autopilot , rather than the air vane.

This keeps a compass course , which usually works OK in really ghosting conditions, and uses tiny electric.

Reaching of course is easier , esp with a fully battened main , that will stay shaply , as the breeze goes to/from zero .
Tacking downwind is needed if the electric for the tiller unit is unavilable.

Far better than just slatting about.

FAST FRED

 

Steersman

Comment from new member here working on an Alberg Ariel looking to offshore when done. I'm a novice sailor, but have polymers in my blood.

Traditional location of Ariel sheet winches would put the Steersman system smack in the middle of the cockpit. A better location for the system would be aft in the cockpit corners, kindof reversed from what you seem to be proposing. IE, all three sticks in one location.

Small boat voyager needs all the extra room it can get, the cockpit is an important extension of livability. It's easy to see why a windvane is popular: because it hangs off the back, out of the way. Yet sheet steering is real important option because of weight in the ends issue small boats suffer from. There are vane systems that require no holes in the transom.

Have to study your website more completely, but any alteration of the winch pad and or coamings might be too much to ask restorers or amatuers in your niche market. Tho almost anything is possible for a system that is convenient and foolproof and easy on the pocketbook.

Some clear whole cockpit photos of actual installations would help to 'see' how your system would translate to other boats. Good luck!

 

Self steering for sailing craft' by John S. Letcher, Jr. (1974, International Marine Publishing, ISBN 0-87742-042-4). It's out of print but I didn't find getting a copy on-line that difficult. His explanation of the origin of weather helm, and how to use sheet-to-tiller rigs to take advantage of it, is excellent.

 

Self-Steering without a Windvane by Lee Woas. ISBN: 0915160528 Expensive at $120- 130 US.

 

The AYRS, Amateur Yacht Research Society , (England) has been a leader in the field of self steering for 5 decades.

Their publications are excellent and very inexpensive.

Esp if you wish to explore the historical sheet to tiller rigs.

FAST FRED

 

Hello Ebb

You say that the position of the Steersman is wrong. I think I didn't descibe it properly. It is actually on side of the cockpit, mounted approximately where the jib sheet winch is normally positioned (there is one unit either side). Have a look at our website and you will see exactly where it goes www.steersman.net

Hello Fast Fred

Can you please tell me, what is a lead sled? I haven't come across this before

Thanks.

I have updated our website with pictures of the production unit.

Also, you will be pleased to know, we have reduced the price!!!!

take a look

www.steersman.net


Best regards


Rob