general

[sumoldgeezer]

Hey fellow sailors, So far I am only a part time liveaboard as I have yet to convince my old woman that there is no better feeling than how one feels after casting off and sailing into the wide blue yonder. So for the moment I live aboard at her mooring for a week and live in our flat in south London for a week. Very unsatisfactory but better than nothin.
At present I am trying to work out how to make a self steering system that actually steers. Any idea's?

[grantmc]

Greetings and welcome to the forum.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sumoldgeezer

.......... as I have yet to convince my old woman that there is no better feeling than how one feels after casting off and sailing into the wide blue yonder.

because there are better feelings

after last nights all night pounding passage I'm positive of this

[sumoldgeezer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

because there are better feelings

after last nights all night pounding passage I'm positive of this

i like to get out there till after a 360 there is no sight of land then lean back with a fishin rod in one hand an a beer in the other and proceed in communion with nature. With of course one eye one hand and a few brain cells on the ship. It doesn't do to have a bleedin great grain carrier or ultra large crude carrier like a very high cliff looming up on you. I'm sorry to hear about your night of pounding but I'm glad you gt through it without mishap.

[Benz]

Your old woman might be easier to convince if the boat was a little bigger. 26 feet isn't really much space for someone used to elbow room.

That being said, there are books to address your question: "Self-steering for Sailing Craft" by John Letcher, discusses everything from sheet-to-tiller to building your own windvane.
Bill Belcher has a book on how to build a ghetto windvane. not a good as Letcher's, but there it is.
For boats your size, there used to be a Plastimo brand servo-pendulum windvane that was pretty affordable due to it's size.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, geezer.

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by sumoldgeezer

Hey fellow sailors, So far I am only a part time liveaboard as I have yet to convince my old woman that there is no better feeling than how one feels after casting off and sailing into the wide blue yonder.

I'm thinking you would have better luck convincing her if you DON'T call her "old woman" ... I'm just sayin'

[sumoldgeezer]

Originally Posted by scarlet

I'm thinking you would have better luck convincing her if you DON'T call her "old woman" ... I'm just sayin'

Hey Scarlet She is MY old woman and I am HER old man. Nothing derogatory we love each other and use the"old" as a term of endearment.
P.S.
I am a huge supporter of emancipation for women.

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by sumoldgeezer

Hey Scarlet She is MY old woman and I am HER old man. Nothing derogatory we love each other and use the"old" as a term of endearment.
P.S.
I am a huge supporter of emancipation for women.

LOL... I probably used the wrong emoji! it was definitely a joke. I love "endearments"...