Helming or Auto-pilot ........?

[Clipper]

Had the opportunity the other day to sail on a 30' snot boat. Once clear of the harbor the proud owner engaged the auto pilot interfaced with GPS. stating " It can steer far better then me " While he expounded other electronic features of the boat I could not help thinking "We're not going any place in particular why is the skipper relinquishing the joy of the feeling the boat ?" Except for head breaks or a sip of something below all the joy of sailing your little ship is lost to listening to the servo whiring and buzzing away. The sound of the water surging past or the wind in your ears is dominated by the sound of electronics.

For passage makers electronics are great but day sailors ???

Complacent and snug on the lee side of the wheel our skipper was unaware of a collision course the boat was steering with a tug & tow off to windward.

What was it that the great Mr H. said about simplicity ?

[Ian McColgin]

Grana taught me how to let her steer herself. But when I go off-shore I'll get some sort of auto helm to save fatigue.

On the tugs we always steered. It's hard for a machine to understand the dynamics of a tow that outweighs you several thousand to one. There was an interesting tug accident where they were on auto and the tow started to veer back and forth. The auto's attempts to straighten out were badly mistimed and the boat was girded and rolled over.

I think a combination of some sort of self-steering and hands on is best. If you can let go of the wheel to establish position or check your coast pilot, it's good. If you can carry on with less fatigue, that's good. If you can't be bothered to feel your boat, why are you there? If you tune out, you die.

[Noah]

I don't love auto pilots, but on occasion they have their merrit. Sailing a big Whitby 42 up from Florida I'm glad that we had it.

Only on very rare occasions do I wish that I had an self-steering set up. I suppose that the nicest time would be when I have a group of people on board who don't have the faintest idea of how to sail. It might be easier to put on the auto pilot and do the work that I need to do, rather than try to explain how the hell a tiller works to someone that's never sailed before.

I do agree with your basic assumption that this dudes use of his autopilot was silly.

Noha

[ 09-26-2003, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Noah ]

[paladin]

Ian... that's called a P.I.O for Pilot Induced Oscillation...when one makes a maneuver, then overcompensates, then overcompensates in the other direction....then.......CRASH. Most of the time releasing the controls allows the machine to straighten herself......

[Ron Williamson]

Auto can't anticipate those steep waves and steer into them to avoid taking such a beating,otherwise it is quite pleasant not steering,on a long trip.
R

[Ian McColgin]

Paladin - It sure is. But it's harder to settle with a tow. We had one 'killer' barge that would not tow straight for most people.

One sleaty evening (is there any other weather for a tug boat adventure) I had the con while the Captain was carrying on a strident discussion with his young wife by cell phone.

I could not get that barge to follow and in fact was having a hard time just easing back enough that it could loose some way and settle down without letting such a big bight in the tow line develop that it could snag an underwater rock and gird us.

After the time barge ranged up abeam of us and then I with difficulty got out of its way as it charged across our stern and managed to get out ahead before it yanked up on the cable . . .

I took the phone out of the Captain's hand, shouted at the wife (whom I knew) that it was her husband's turn to steer, good by, gotta go. . .

With his usual casual skill, the Captain settle the barge astern muttering, "It's not so hard."

On a boat with no tow, like Grana, the yawing is usually controlable if I get the new helmsman to use the 'one spoke rule.' Keep one hand, left or right your call, on the king spoke. Don't turn the wheel further than you can go without letting go.