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Brief descriptions of how various steering systems work: direct linkage, chain-and-cable, enclosed cable and hydraulic. Includes tips on how to inspect for wear and what regular maintenance is required.
[SailNet, 7 May 2002]
How key dimensions and performance ratios for sailboats are, or should be, calculated. A famous designer walks you through 20 of them, including his own widely-used invention, the Comfort Ratio.
[Ted Brewer Yacht Design, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada]
Here′s a prediction of what will fail on your boat and in what order they will fail.
[Ocean Voyager, January 2001]
Save money, cut weight, improve performance, reduce steering malfunctions, and make self-steering simpler - install a simple tiller. This article shows some tiller-to-rudderhead attachments and a simple sheet-to-tiller self-steering rig. 3 pages with diagrams and photos.
[Cruising World, November 2003]
A yacht designer talks about engineering for keel and rudder strength. Written for boatbuilders, this article is good reading for owners contemplating a custom design or rebuild. 13 pages with diagrams and photos.
[Professional Boatbuilder, August/Septembe]
A noted designer′s lucid explanations of, among other things, a boat′s helm balance and the methods of correcting steering problems.
[Good Old Boat, July/August 1999]
What sorts of rudder designs are vulnerable to damage, what to do if you lose your rudder, with techniques for steering a rudderless boat and fabricating a jury rudder.
[SailNet, 9 March 2002]
If the rudder is lost, here is why steering with a jury rudder or drogue will require much greater forces than the two-fingers-on-the-wheel we are used to.
[Cruising World, 5 July 2005]
Written for powerboaters, this overview covers some of the basics of designing a hydraulic system to handle anchor windlass, dinghy davits, powered winches, and more. 5 pages
[PassageMaker, January 1999]
Brief grab bag of facts and commentary to help understand the pros and cons of various types of rudder, with comments on wheel versus tiller. Contains excerpts from hard-to-find bulletin board and newsgroup postings, as well as links to useful sites and vendor pages.
[Bill Dietrich, USA]
I cut a hollow roach in the main and changed the 3 bladed prop to 2 blades, which got rid of most of the weather helm.
Jack Ganssle
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