Single-handing E35 - anyone uses the tiller?

I'm trying to improve on my single-handing procedures. One thing that I don't like is how the cockpit is divided by the traveller, moving the steering wheel so far from sheet winches. I wonder if it makes sense to rig and use the emergency tiller when I'm driving alone. The tiller (with all the varnish and lamination) as well as its attachment point in the cockpit look like they were designed to be used regularly, not just as a last resort. Has anyone done anything like that, or tried and failed?

As a separate, but related question, this happens to be my first boat with a jib furler. I know to keep a bit of tension on the furling line while unrolling the genoa, to prevent jams. What I don't know is a convenient way to do it when I have no crew in the cockpit. There's gotta be some magic trick to it.

Please enlighten this Ericson rookie!

Misc. Advice -worth about a penny

RedHerring said:

I'm trying to improve on my single-handing procedures. One thing that I don't like is how the cockpit is divided by the traveller, moving the steering wheel so far from sheet winches. I wonder if it makes sense to rig and use the emergency tiller when I'm driving alone. The tiller (with all the varnish and lamination) as well as its attachment point in the cockpit look like they were designed to be used regularly, not just as a last resort. Has anyone done anything like that, or tried and failed?

As a separate, but related question, this happens to be my first boat with a jib furler. I know to keep a bit of tension on the furling line while unrolling the genoa, to prevent jams. What I don't know is a convenient way to do it when I have no crew in the cockpit. There's gotta be some magic trick to it.

Please enlighten this Ericson rookie!

Click to expand...

Hi Red,
I am guessing that your E-35 is a mk 1 or (more likely) a Mk2.

One of the owners that checks in here regularly has solo raced his 35-2, and likely has answers for you. I have single-handed our last boat (tiller) and the present one (wheel) a number of days and always found that my mechanical crew person (i.e. the autopilot) was Really helpful for either boat. Tacking is much much better, although you still have to have all your ducks lined up before you punch both buttons simultaneously. :0

Furler line tension is indeed a key concern. I usually put a single wrap - or two - around a winch drum to add just enough friction to keep the line tight enough on the furler drum.

Until the experts check in.... Fair Winds,
Loren

I find I can furl or unfurl with the drum line in one hand and the sheet in the other, no purchases. My 135 genoa is smaller, of course, but try it. You can't winch in the furler line like that, but then I never want to winch in the furler line.

Not that anybody asked, but in a vaguely relevant topic category:

I advocate trying to do everything by direct physical force, by "hand". There are too many unnecessary systems on board which can be compensated for by technique. I put among these adjustable genoa block gizmos, multi-part traveller adjusters, a whole bunch of junk led back all over the cabin top, and anything that needs very long rope tails for very rare needs.

Whenever more power is required, reduce the strain on the sail and put your back into the job. There is a contemporary assumption that no muscles are to be used on sailboats. In fact, muscles can erase hundreds of pages of the Harken Catalog. Gear intended for convenience or added power often has the opposite effect.

In short, technique trumps gear. Ahem. I mean, Amen.

You will notice how this stentorian broadcast of wisdom brooks no contradiction, and has a vague undertone of condescension. Well, I'm 71 and probably a good candidate for push-button winches. It's better, though, if you can figure out how to do it without them--often faster, simpler and more elegant.

Now back to regular programming, as I wait to learn how the E35 is set up so you can use either a tiller or a wheel.

RedHerring said:

As a separate, but related question, this happens to be my first boat with a jib furler. I know to keep a bit of tension on the furling line while unrolling the genoa, to prevent jams. What I don't know is a convenient way to do it when I have no crew in the cockpit. There's gotta be some magic trick to it.

Click to expand...

Loren's method of a turn or two on a winch is good, and I use it for the sheets when furling the genny, but it is problematic for the furling line if you don't have secondary winches.

I have my furling line run through a device from the hundreds of pages of the Harken catalog... a ratchet block. This provides enough friction to avoid over rides on the drum when setting the genny. I also run the line over my arm which makes it a little easier to avoid tangles headed for the ratchet block.

Before a certain young kid gets on my case about extra gear, I'll point out that the block was on my boat when I bought it, and we are not all as young as he is.

Single Handing with a tiller

Without an autopilot, single handing a tiller can be tricky if the rudder is not balanced well. My Islander 26 was finicky unless I had a line wrapped around the tiller and across the cockpit to slow its travels while I was distracted on a different task. I haven't tried the tiller on the Ericson, but had an interesting accidental jibe when the autopilot failed while I was up front fixing a problem on the roller furler.

The roller furler did make the job of dousing the head sail significantly easier than a hanked on sail while single handed. None of my halyards run back to the cockpit, but once they sails are up, the sheets are all easy to adjust from my aft winches.

Good luck!

And here's a shameless plug for my Ericson 32 video single handing up the bay. It's not impressive, except in the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing, and still made it.

Dean

RedHerring said:

I'm trying to improve on my single-handing procedures. One thing that I don't like is how the cockpit is divided by the traveller, moving the steering wheel so far from sheet winches. I wonder if it makes sense to rig and use the emergency tiller when I'm driving alone. The tiller (with all the varnish and lamination) as well as its attachment point in the cockpit look like they were designed to be used regularly, not just as a last resort. Has anyone done anything like that, or tried and failed?

As a separate, but related question, this happens to be my first boat with a jib furler. I know to keep a bit of tension on the furling line while unrolling the genoa, to prevent jams. What I don't know is a convenient way to do it when I have no crew in the cockpit. There's gotta be some magic trick to it.

Please enlighten this Ericson rookie!

Click to expand...

The separation you speak of has been annoying to me as well, especially since the auto-pilot control head is on the starboard bulkhead. When I need to turn it on (for raising and lowering sails, since I single-hand most of the time), it's a quick dash from the wheel to the autopilot control head after locking in the wheel pilot motor. Usually not an issue, and didn't want to bother with running wire and installing gear on the pedestal guard that could be swept away or broken by the mainsheet.

Last year I did start using the tiller. I found that the friction from the steering cables and wheel was a little much, so gave up on that idea. And I wasn't all that excited about consuming so much cockpit space when I have guests aboard. I'm lucky that the PO installed a second set of winches to fly a spinnaker, and they happen to be conveniently within reach of the wheel. They are now my primary winches when single-handing, and I mainly use the wheel.

As for the furler, I haven't found that I needed to figure something out for this. I can furl/unfurl/keep tension on the line and the jib sheet by hand, but wouldn't do it witout gloves.

Get a remote; shim the rudder tube to improve tiller performance

The "bathtub steering well" is great when you have guests aboard, but when single handing it is a hurdle. My Raymarine autopilot is on the bulkhead in the forward of the cockpit too, so I did buy the wireless remote--I think I paid $89 for it 4-5 years ago.

As far as the tiller goes, when I first bought my boat I tried it out, and I could barely steer the boat due to friction, so I wrote it off. When I upgraded my rudder to a Foss redesign, I shimmed the rudder tube with plastic shim stock from McMasters, and this eliminated much of the friction. Now when I use the tiller, it works great, and it's nice to know that if the wheel fails, I have a reliable alternative.

It sounds like you may be sitting in the well when sailing with a wheel. I sit in front of the thwart in the main cockpit. Everything (wheel, traveler, mainsheet, winches) are in easy reach. Also boat trims better with your weight further forward. Also, less motion and better sitting position reduces fatigue.

I have sailed the E35-2 in both wheel and tiller configurations. If set up right they both work well. More feel if you use the tiller. Less effort if you have a wheel.

--Steve