Posted by Jock on November 07, 2004 at 00:18:01 from 84.65.92.92 user Jock.
In Reply to: steering while sailing solo posted by Ed Kiser on November 04, 2004 at 19:41:36:
The self-steering qualities of Slocum's "Spray" were unique and the "Spray" herself was a unique boat in many ways. Slocum was presented a worn out boat and rebuilt her singlehandedly till there wasn't a single piece of wood from the original left. By happy co-incidence or design he achieved a harmonious balance between the sideways resistance of her hull and the lateral thrust of her sails. He writes that her lines were based on a North Sea fishing boat. No doubt her ancestors had evolved to hold their course regardless of their point of sailing with regard to the wind while their entire crews battled with the nets.
You can read what Slocum himself had to say about the Spray, by clicking the link below and then clicking on "23, - Appendix -" in the left hand "Contents" column. Note most of the links on the main "Contents" page don't seem to work.