Sheet to tiller self steering any good?

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I am planning to do some longer solo passages > 24 hours next year and have seen a few YouTube clips about "sheet to tiller" self steering, example below, has anybody got this type of set up and if so is it any good? I am trying to cut down on the electrics as much as possible.

 
Sometimes you see people with spaghetti string all over the place -that looks remarkably simple and makes much more sense than those which I've seen previously. How does it handle beating? I get the feeling that there'd be the point where it would round up to where the main flogged and the bungee would just tack the boat round?
 
Does work, but not very precise control. Lets you cook, do chartwork etc and carry on more or less in the right direction. OK from to windward, when most boats can steer themselves anyway with helm locked and slight sail trim adjustment, round to a broad reach under main and jib. Only way I've ever made it work on a run is with two headsails and no main.

Physiotherapy-type rubber strapping much better than bungee cord as the elastic - bungee cord is too non-linear in stretch characteristics.
 
jwilson said:
Does work, but not very precise control. Lets you cook, do chartwork etc and carry on more or less in the right direction. OK from to windward, when most boats can steer themselves anyway with helm locked and slight sail trim adjustment, round to a broad reach under main and jib. Only way I've ever made it work on a run is with two headsails and no main.

Physiotherapy-type rubber strapping much better than bungee cord as the elastic - bungee cord is too non-linear in stretch characteristics.
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I've found that going to windward is pretty easy to set up, especially with a non-overlap headsail. In fact I've managed to keep my boat on a consistent course to windward with no rudder blade.

Downwind no hope.
 
There is a single handed sailing guide written by an american and published on the web by his sailing club. (I'm sure someone will jump in with a link - it's the one with a lot of advice and analysis around keeping your head right and called somethign like practical tips for single handed sailing.) Anyway that explains 3 or so different set ups for sheet to tiller self steering and explains which set ups work at which wind angles. I haven't tried them but the diagrams and explanations make sense and the rest of the guide is pretty good.
 
I got it to work on a reach by attaching to the jib sheet. That was a long keeler however, it went upwind on it's own.

I think using an dinghy sail set on the babystay, or similar, might work even better but I never got around to it.
 
PaulMcC said:
There is a single handed sailing guide written by an american and published on the web by his sailing club. (I'm sure someone will jump in with a link - it's the one with a lot of advice and analysis around keeping your head right and called somethign like practical tips for single handed sailing.) Anyway that explains 3 or so different set ups for sheet to tiller self steering and explains which set ups work at which wind angles. I haven't tried them but the diagrams and explanations make sense and the rest of the guide is pretty good.
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This one?

http://www.sfbaysss.org/tipsbook/
 
charles_reed said:
I've found that going to windward is pretty easy to set up, especially with a non-overlap headsail. In fact I've managed to keep my boat on a consistent course to windward with no rudder blade.

Downwind no hope.
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Have to disagree with your last comment. I used to sail my Sonata with sheet to tiller steering when in open water and saved the electric autohelm for confined waters. To windward I connected the steering line to a fall in the mainsheet but to be honest it was best to just balance the sails and rudder positon. Off the wind I changed the genoa sheet lead to run back through the spinnaker turning block and connected the steering line to the genoa sheet with a clove hitch. You over sheet the genoa slightly and then play around with the amount of deflection the steering line puts on the genoa sheet until it works as you want. Small changes of course can then be made by sliding the clove hitch along the genoa sheet. It took a while to learn how to balance it but once I got the hang of it it was great. I even got it to work in light wind with the spinnaker up by hoisting a working jib inside the spinnaker and using that to activate the steering line. I one sailed the length of the Wallet under spinnaker whilst lying on the foredeck reading a book using that set up. If you can do it in a boat as twitchy as a Sonata you can do it in anything that has a reasonably balanced helm.
 
PeterR said:
Have to disagree with your last comment. I used to sail my Sonata with sheet to tiller steering when in open water and saved the electric autohelm for confined waters. To windward I connected the steering line to a fall in the mainsheet but to be honest it was best to just balance the sails and rudder positon. Off the wind I changed the genoa sheet lead to run back through the spinnaker turning block and connected the steering line to the genoa sheet with a clove hitch. You over sheet the genoa slightly and then play around with the amount of deflection the steering line puts on the genoa sheet until it works as you want. Small changes of course can then be made by sliding the clove hitch along the genoa sheet. It took a while to learn how to balance it but once I got the hang of it it was great. I even got it to work in light wind with the spinnaker up by hoisting a working jib inside the spinnaker and using that to activate the steering line. I one sailed the length of the Wallet under spinnaker whilst lying on the foredeck reading a book using that set up. If you can do it in a boat as twitchy as a Sonata you can do it in anything that has a reasonably balanced helm.
Click to expand...

I think some-one, somewhere should make a film about it

 
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