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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Solo Sailing Out Gordon Pass

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Bob Jack
1st Mate

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USA
58 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/30/2007 : 18:33:00

Major breakthrough in the quest to fall in love with my new 250 W/B....Ever since I got it I've been comparing it to my old Catalina 22, but nothing about this boat was very familiar to me...The engine is on the wrong side, the mainsheet drops down forward of the helm, the jib sheet winches are way forward on the cabin roof..It has a lot of free board and gets pushed around by the wind when docking...etc etc etc...wah wah wah....I felt very clumsy every time I tried to do anything with it.The first thing I did to make it better was to hook the tiller to the outboard (ala Arlyn's Soft Link)so that they turn in tandem in close quarters...reduces (but does not totaly aliminate) embarrassing episodes at the dock.
Today I hooked up a system with bungy cords that does a real good job of holding the boat on course so as to let me roam around and do things..reach things I could not easily reach before.There is a hole in the tiller with a metal sleeve in it for the tiller extension ...so I bought a fastpin with a loop on it that fits the same hole...Hooked up a couple bungies and it works great. Went sailing solo today...left the dock at 9:00 a.m. and got back at 12:00...Here's some pictures

-rough finished product..it works but needs a little fine tuning....the loop is not heavy enough and eventually gave way

-heading out Gordon Pass

-Sailing north in the Gulf....I took this picture from the bow with the boat sailing itself

-Wing & wing...both hands on the camera

-sailing south...all streamers streaming .... no help from me.

I was able to put up and take down all the sails while under way...There were no chores left when I got back to the dock...This will do until I feel like coughing up $600.00 + for a real auto tiller.
Bob

Bob

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2007 : 19:53:33

Hi Bob... Sounds like the 250 will have to grow on you a little--I think it will, particularly for overnighting--the C-22 is a bit "cozy"!

A variation on your bungee system that several (myself included) have used is a single long cord attached on both sides of the cockpit (presumably to the places you used) with a couple of wraps around the tiller. To adjust to a straighten your course, you just grab and turn the wraps (lengthening the cord to one side while shortening it to the other). I hooked mine to the aft cleats so that I could engage the system by pulling the wraps forward, tightening them and stretching the cord, or disengage by pushing the the wraps back, slackening the cord. Startlingly simple, but better than any "tiller tamer" product I've seen! (Of course, and autopilot is even better...)

Best of luck warming up to your 250!

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2007 : 20:15:36

Bob, try enlarging your photos before posting the addresses for them. If you use a web photo hosting site such as Shutterfly you can click on a photo and it gets bigger. Then do the right click to get its adress and use that. Your photos look neat but are a bit too small to fully appreciate.

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Bob Jack
1st Mate

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USA
58 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2007 : 21:44:52

Thanks fot the tip...I did notice the pint sized thumbnails and wondered why that was...I was sartin to get a complex...I'll try again , taking your advice...wish me luck..

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2007 : 12:05:43

How do you adjust the bungee tension?

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gop711
1st Mate

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Armenia
83 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2007 : 14:46:21

Bob,

Great idea. Could you please tell me where you found the fast pin?

Thanks
Greg

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2007 : 15:27:49

Bob, Since discarding my tiller tamer the bungee cord works great, however mine seems to work the nuts using the latches for the combing covers. Two wraps around the tiller gives control by just bumping the tiller handle. Three turns give the ability to go straight with no deviations unless a wind gust changes direction for me. "Just my two cents"

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.