Hi Ron,
I thought this may help others - it helps me a lot. I sail mostly alone, and like to troll a fishing line, so when the bite happens, I heave to , fix the tiller and I am fishing, stopped, in a matter of seconds. Also it helps when I am alone and need to reef, and when I need to heave to. I usually sail with the outboard in the well, and with this system, and using the outboard as a trim tab (when needed) I can let Breeze take care of me, and enjoy.
It's a continuous tiller stopper - it allows me to fix the tiller in any position desired (and height too with a single action by pulling the line, at the center), and to undo, by releasing the line at the two cleats. As a result of the triangle that the line makes, it also solved an uncomfortable problem that I usually had, the tangling of the main sheet behind the tiller rudder connection. Because of this set up the main sheet is always in front of it .
The two little lines inside the triangle are elastic and serve the purpose of giving some tension to the continuous line so it keeps tight when not using it.
I am trying to put this idea in the open because it solved many little problems that were there with the other systems offered., I read an article which suggested that instead of the well known approach to man overboard (the figure 8), doing a "Heave To" will serve the purpose of rescuing with less time and more efficacy. I went out and practiced the maneuver, realizing that to fix the tiller after heaving to, will make me take my eyes of the fallen, and also take some precious time I can use for the rescue.
This same problem shows up when reacting to a bite when trolling for a fish and the bite happens - it requires attending to the tying of the tiller system (tiller tamer), and in the meantime, you are dragging the fish. Once the tiller is fixed in any given position, to make a correction, will require untying and retying again with more time and inconvenience.
Dario
Webmaster Note: Great idea!! And I am thinking that if the attachment point to the tiller is a small snap shackle it could easily be repositioned out of the way when desired
