Does anyone know know a makeshift auto-"HELM" trick?

[UneeklyCommon]

Hey CF Community,
I am curious if anyone knows a "makeshift" autohelm trick. I have a "medium" sized helm and I just need to be able to go down below for 10 minutes without my sailboat wanting to sail into the wind hard. Thank you kindly for any insights, ideas and choices I haven't found during research yet. Thanks, again.

[Viking Sailor]

Tiller to sheet steering:


https://cse.google.com/cse?siteurl=w...steering&sa=Go


https://www.sfbaysss.org/resource/do...rdEdition2.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY1qx3PfUS0

[Flagman101]

Heave to
Safe and effective

[liquidice]

Tiller to sheet is great. I also find a truckers bungee, all black rubber, double wrapped around the tiller and hooked to the locker hasps on both sides works better in some conditions and points of sail.

[Jim Cate]

Sorta sounds like he has wheel steering, and that makes the usual sheet to tiller rigs much less do-able... lacking the tiller part!

The advice to heave to is the right answer IMO, but of course, either a wind vane or an auto pilot is the real solution.

Jim

[boatman61]

Set the jib so its just luffing.. wont work with wind aft of the beam.

[UneeklyCommon]

I should have clarified more ... I have a helm, not a tiller.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by UneeklyCommon

I should have clarified more ... I have a helm, not a tiller.

To clarify, if not equipped with a tillered helm, then you likely have a wheeled helm.


helm

noun
1.
a tiller or wheel and any associated equipment for steering a ship or boat.
"she stayed at the helm, alert for tankers"
synonyms: tiller, wheel;

verb
1.
steer (a boat or ship).

[Cpt Mark]

So you have an old(er) electric wheel steering auto helm autopilot? Assuming it's functioning correctly and mounted correctly all you should have to do is turn it on and press set, enter whatever.

Or do you have a really old autohelm wind vane autopilot?

Do you have cable style quadrant steering or is it hydraulic?

More info about what you have, what it does and does not do could be helpful

[bailsout]

I don’t know your boat, but she won’t balance? I have a full keel so maybe that makes her balance easily.

[stormalong]

Ten minutes is a long time for just locking off the helm. You need a wheel steering autopilot. Once you have one installed you will be amazed at the freedom it will give you. Just don't fall overboard while on autopilot.

BTW, your choice of title may be confusing to some long time sailors. Raymarine was once a company called Autohelm. The company has changed ownership a few times and expanded it's product line dramatically since those early days.

PS. Looking back and seeing that you have a 42 ft cruising boat you really should have a below deck autopilot. Far more reliable and powerful than a pedestal mounted one. If you intend to go cruising it is an essential piece of equipment. Not cheap but essential.

[Don C L]

well.. in my boat I can loosen up the main and tighten up the jib, lash the tiller (or wheel in your case) and she'll waffle up and down... takes a little practice figuring out just where to put the main, jib and helm...... depends on the wind speed 'course.... (with a flatter jib, as she rounds up, the main luffs and the jib wind-vanes the bow back off the wind, then the main takes over again and rounds her up etc. etc.)ymmv (and by the time you've figured out just where to put 'em all you'll probably say, ah, heck with it and heave-to for 10 min.)

[grantmc]

I been using use a Tiller Mate (UK Based) for 10 years and it works really well. I went through several expensive autopilots, they just seem to die. There is nothing to fail with a tiller mate. It's really just a bit of rope and a clamp. There are quite a few variants. Here's a link to a comparison by Practical Boat Owner. https://www.pbo.co.uk/gear/tiller-locks-tested-23943

[TrentePieds]

Quote: " I just need to be able to go down below for 10 minutes without my sailboat wanting to sail into the wind hard"

Well, yes, we ALL need to duck below for a whizz now and then, but what has that got to do with authohelms and trickery :-)?

If you are under sail, then, as flagman said, 'eave 'er to. If you are under power, then just lay 'er dead in the water. No trick to either of 'em.

TrentePIeds

[Foolish]

Thanks for posting my video above. If you have a wheel instead of a tiller, you can still use this technique. You will find that the bottom spoke of the wheel, somewhere near the middle of the spoke, will have the same side-to-side behavior as a tiller. So just connect your sheet and surgical tubing to the middle of the bottom spoke. With a bit of adjustment it should work fine. And don't forget to download the free book on singlehanded sailing available here: https://www.sfbaysss.org/main/resources/