home made self-steering vane ?

[wolfenzee]

I have a 30' sloop and would like to biuld a self steering gear rather than get an production model gear (which I can't really afford anyway). The way my boat is presently rigged it is pretty well balanced and the trailing edge of the rudder would also allow for a trim tab, see: boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/CaptainCicero.html
does anyone have any ideas on a "homebuilt" type of self steering gear.
-David

[henryk]

I know of two guys who built their windvanes ,and they spend around $100 bucks on parts . There are books about building windvanes.
If my boat wouldn't be that heavy, I would built one myself

[wolfenzee]

I found a link to an easily/inexpensively built and proven design for a self steering gear. http://www.mindspring.com/~waltmur/Self-Steering/. I'll give it a try and let you know how it works. it's called the 20-20 because it should take the average sailor 20 hour to build it, cost $20 and weigh 20lbs. I have alot more teak and mahogany laying around than plywood and I have a tendency to over build so it might weigh a bit more). If anyone has any other ideas for home made self sterring gears I am still open to suggestion.

[henryk]

Go for it. Give us an update on the progress

[Wotname]

I am building a windvane steering for my 31ft Van DeStadt.Try and get hold of a copy of "Wind-Vane Self Steering" by Bill Belcher.
IMO, it's the bible of windvane steering.

[GordMay]

“The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook” * (Theory, principles and practice)
by Bill Morris
International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press (March 1, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0071434690
ISBN-13: 978-0071434690
Buy:
McGraw-Hill: The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook : Book

Or:

Amazon.com: The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook: Bill Morris: Books

Windvane Self-Steering Handbook | ISBN: 0071434690

The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook at Book Digger


* Originally published as “Yacht Wind Vane Steering”
International Marine(1982)
ISBN: 0877421587

Some free on-line resources:

Self Steering Designs ~ by Walt Murray
Goto:
http://www.mindspring.com/~waltmur/Self-Steering/

Self-Steering Under Sail: Autopilot and Wind Steering ~ Peter Christian Forthmann
Goto:
http://www.windpilot.de/Grafiken/pdf/bookeng.pdf

See also:
Self-Steering for Sailing Craft ~ by John S Letcher, Jr.
International Marine Publishing Co (November 28, 1974)
ISBN-10: 0877420424
ISBN-13: 978-0877420422