sail to tiller steering a Centaur

[dylanwinter]

The Centaur has a baby stay

I have had some success with sheet to tiller steering on the Minstrel

Has anyone had any success with using a dinghy jib on a baby stay to power the steering ?

Any pix?

D

 

[robmcg]

Baby stay on the Centaur is in lieu of forward lowers, not designed to take any form of sail. Wouldn't recommend trying to fly anything off it other than a tea towel with pegs!

 

[dylanwinter]

Baby stay on the Centaur is in lieu of forward lowers, not designed to take any form of sail. Wouldn't recommend trying to fly anything off it other than a tea towel with pegs!

I am completely confident that the baby stay is man enough for the job

Dylan

 

[robmcg]

I am completely confident that the baby stay is man enough for the job

Dylan

I am glad you are, I wouldn't be, especially knowing the working loads on the baby stay when under sail in even moderate winds. You should beef up the mounting under the deck if you want to proceed. It would need a better/bigger backing pad.

 

[BruceDanforth]

Have you considered making extensive bleating noises with a view to scrounging a tiller pilot?

 

[prv]

Baby stay on the Centaur is in lieu of forward lowers, not designed to take any form of sail. Wouldn't recommend trying to fly anything off it other than a tea towel with pegs!

Bear in mind this is to be specifically a steering sail, not a driving one. Think of it like the vane of a self-steering gear, albeit larger.

Have you considered making extensive bleating noises with a view to scrounging a tiller pilot?

He already has a tillerpilot; I assume this is a (sensible) backup plan.

Pete

 

[robmcg]

Understood, but the purpose of a baby stay is to accommodate forward/aft loads present in the centre of the mast. They are not designed to accommodate any form of lateral loading from side to side without loss of its initial design purpose. Worth the risk? Up to the user to determine that but you are asking something to do a job it was not designed for and is busy doing the job it was designed for.

 

[prv]

Understood, but the purpose of a baby stay is to accommodate forward/aft loads present in the centre of the mast. They are not designed to accommodate any form of lateral loading from side to side without loss of its initial design purpose. Worth the risk? Up to the user to determine that but you are asking something to do a job it was not designed for and is busy doing the job it was designed for.

Best not hold onto any shrouds or stays when standing on deck, then?

Pete

 

[robmcg]

Best not hold onto any shrouds or stays when standing on deck, then?

Pete

Why? Do you swing on yours for hours on end? Common knowledge that a baby stay is not suitable for flying any kind of sail unless your intention is to induce premature mast failure.

 

[dylanwinter]

Why? Do you swing on yours for hours on end? Common knowledge that a baby stay is not suitable for flying any kind of sail unless your intention is to induce premature mast failure.

what a world full of fear us sailors inhabit

I am utterly confident that it will take the modest loading from a dinghy jib

D

 

[VicS]

what a world full of fear us sailors inhabit

I am utterly confident that it will take the modest loading from a dinghy jib

D

If the Centaur handles like its big sister the Berwick from the point of view of weather helm and effort required on the tiller I doubt very much if a dinghy jib will generate enough force other than perhaps in very easy going conditions.
Try it but do not be surprised if its not a great success.

A main sheet to tiller system is more likely to be successful.

Electronic tiller pilot is the way to go IMO.......works under power, when there is no wind for a wind powered system, too.

with a proper engine and an alternator electrical power is no problem.

I'd not be without mine!

 

[prv]

If the Centaur handles like its big sister the Berwick from the point of view of weather helm and effort required on the tiller I doubt very much if a dinghy jib will generate enough force other than perhaps in very easy going conditions.

I believe the idea of sheet-to-tiller steering is to take most of the load with bungees (or "surgical toobing" if you're American ) and just have the filling and spilling of the sail tweaking it a little. But I've never actually tried it.

Doesn't Seajet usually tell us that Centaurs are very light on the tiller?

Pete

 

[chinita]

Have you considered making extensive bleating noises with a view to scrounging a tiller pilot?

Ooer watch it!

You will be accused of 'hating' him at the first hint of casting a cynical word.

 

[Steersman]

Try this

http://www.steersman.net

 

[ganter]

I am completely confident that the baby stay is man enough for the job

Dylan

I say try it Dylan. I've been tempted to do the same on the Pageant baby stay (same rig as Centaur) but always bottled it because I think it's only there for the kids to swing on as they go down the hatch.

 

[VicS]

Doesn't Seajet usually tell us that Centaurs are very light on the tiller?

Pete

He's told us how palatial the accommodation is in an Anderson 22.

 

[BruceDanforth]

Dylan has shared his wine with me and is a very affable chap.

Ooer watch it!

You will be accused of 'hating' him at the first hint of casting a cynical word.

 

[BruceDanforth]

Weather helm will depend in part on how knackered the main is. My boat had loads of weather helm when I got her but with my new main there is very little.

I believe the idea of sheet-to-tiller steering is to take most of the load with bungees (or "surgical toobing" if you're American ) and just have the filling and spilling of the sail tweaking it a little. But I've never actually tried it.

Doesn't Seajet usually tell us that Centaurs are very light on the tiller?

Pete

 

[Searush]

Baby stay on the Centaur is in lieu of forward lowers, not designed to take any form of sail. Wouldn't recommend trying to fly anything off it other than a tea towel with pegs!

The early Westerlys were all built like brick outhouses, the rig & mast is well over spec'd. Just compare them to similar sized boats in any marina, harbour or boatyard. The stick is always shorter & thicker & the rigging is always a size up too. The baby stay is fastened to the uprise of the forecabin, which is effectively a solid bulkhead aligned to the stay.

 

[lustyd]

I believe the idea of sheet-to-tiller steering is to take most of the load with bungees (or "surgical toobing" if you're American ) and just have the filling and spilling of the sail tweaking it a little. But I've never actually tried it.

Doesn't Seajet usually tell us that Centaurs are very light on the tiller?

Pete

Why would the Americans use surgical tubing rather than bungee cord?