In talking with some of the guys on the forums at http://www.beneteau235.com we were recently talking about single handing and tiller tamer setups. As well as other single handing topics. Here are some of my comments on my experiences in that line that I made.
Bungee worked pretty good for me for a while 3 wraps around tiller handle. If you have trimmed your sails right and don’t have to much pull on the tiller it will hold course for a while. under power it works even better. Still not great for when a wake hits you and your on the bow and the boat takes off in a new direction.
The autopilot ( Simrad TP32 ) is the bomb. I love mine, it has made single handing a non issue. This weekend coming into the inlet the wind was coming from dead out of the inlet. I ended up reefing the jib and then cranking the motor and with autopilot set motored from about a mile out to the inlet dead into the wind in 2 to 3 ft slop as well as large boat wakes as they screamed into and out of the inlet. I was flaking the main while doing this. A year ago I couldn’t even have imagined doing this. The autopilot is a champ. It held me on course for the 4 or 5 minutes it took to flake the sail while bouncing around in that slop.
Also on single handing note. I have been anchoring out overnight a lot lately and have been sailing off and onto the anchor, even in where other boats are anchored. Its pretty cool. Sailing off the anchor is less mentally traumatic and a bit easier I think. Though I’m getting much more comfortable coming in and anchoring under sail. Depending on wind strength I reef the jib and maybe the main so I am more under powered than not. Then I find my spot and aim at it and just sail right at it. I walk up to the bow as the boat approaches it and drop the already rigged anchor over and feed it out to the proper length through one of the side fairleads.. give it a decent scope as you want it to bite the first time. Then I snub it off and the boat hits it still moving forward. It bites and the boat swings around and is lying pointed into the wind and the anchor is set really good after it stops the forward momentum of the boat. Just before walking forward I centerline the main to make sure it will not be trying to sail the boat when lying downwind behind the anchor. After the anchor sets It is simplicity to blow the main halyard and flake the sail. It’s also fun to see the wide eyes as people in the boats around realize what your doing. I haven’t had it happen yet but its a good idea to pick your spot so that if the anchor doesn’t bite you can get back to the cockpit and maneuver the boat without endangering anyone else. Have the engine ready to go on short notice etc..
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