Boats With Their Own Minds

The advent of long-distance pass ages in small craft either short handed or single-handed such as those made by Chichester and Slo cum has also seen the sailor’s in genuity go to work on devices to relieve the tedium of long periods at the helm.

Long wanting, has been a book in plain language which not only ex plains the mechanics of such devices but also tells the reader how to build a self-steering device to suit his boat.

A recently released book written by John S. Letcher Jr and called Self-Steering for Sailing Craft will be welcomed by cruising people who are invariably on a short budget.

Mr Letcher, so says the cover blurb, is an experienced singlehander who has a PhD in aerodynamics and

hydrodynamics, qualifications which are admirably suited to the design of self-steering gear which use principles of both.

Electronics are by no means left out, a chapter being devoted to their use, for the more moneyed people.

With more and more people escaping the rat race for a weekend or as a new way of life, the release of this book is to be applauded, and has even enthused this writer enough to start on his own self-steering. As has been said many times before, it’s like having an extra crewman who neither eats nor sleeps, doesn’t make unreasonable demands and keeps his mouth shut. —John Collins

For Sailing

CRAFT, by John S. Letcher Jr. Published by International Marine Publishing Co, Camden, Maine, USA. $U512.50).