This sailing technique saved my butt (Why does nobody teach this?)
150K views · May 24, 2026 · Education
Comments · 289
@Jos-i1t · 4 months ago (edited)
I keep bicycle inner tubes on my boat. I have used it for cutting custom joints, as very strong bungee cords, stuff into a hole or seacock and inflate to prevent water ingress, galvanically insulate metals, repair a leaking exhaust hose (that became almost a permanent solution), prevent vibrations, anti skid, etc.
114
@Paul-f6l7s · 4 months ago (edited)
I singlehanded a Columbia Sabre from San Diego to San Francisco. No auto pilot. No motor. To sail while I napped I hooked a line from weather winch to the tiller. I hung a fender on the line. When the boat headed up the pressure came off of the tiller and the fender sagged the line causing the boat to fall off. When the boat caught the wind the line went taut and the boat headed up. With a little brilliant sail trim the boat would sail for hours without my steering. In stiffer breeze I added another fender.
38
@richardrebelo2653 · 4 months ago
One of my few YouTube channels I enjoy watching, keep up the great work.
15
@furiousfelicia5751 · 4 months ago
I always figured this is why I'd like to have a wind vane..
30
@Rob-r2s · 4 months ago
I practiced this on a Laser when I was in the junior sailing program. Then I went forward to the mast and was able to lean the boat from starboard to port and steer the boat with the tiller locked in center. Learning this helped me sail better in other situations.
3
@anotheryoutubesailingchann5710 · 4 months ago
My 30 ft monohull had no self-steering system and we were returning to Miami from Key West, using the Gulf Stream to help push us along. I decided to give a bungee cord attached to the helm a try in order to maintain course. Under these ideal conditions I was able to enjoy hands free sailing for 10 hours. It was a game changer. When we got back, I immediately invested in a wheel pilot. So, in my case it was backwards. I learned the benefits of self-steering with a bungee jury-rig and now have it in my back pocket in case of an equipment failure.
4
@liamstone3437 · 4 months ago
I'm closing my eyes and imagining that I never own a catamaran and have a wind vane with bungees for a backup. Yes that is my happy place.
6
@adamshawtmr · 4 months ago
Love the positive vibe on this one! That is what makes a sailor and others better sailors. Calm, positive, move forward enginuity and karma. Not click bait dome and gloom everything breaking stuff. Have known of this one(not practiced yet) but thanks for sharing details and experiance man to help me think it thru when I can go practice it🤙
8
@MOUNTAINMANJJ · 4 months ago
A sheet of kydex is handy as well. It's the stuff we make holsters and knife sheaths out of. It can be cut with a knife, heated, and bent, holes drilled, fasteners. Not as strong as steel but easier to work with 😅
5
@George-ph5pz · 2 weeks ago
"There will come a time when you need help from another person"<br><br>A surprisingly difficult lesson for some of us. Thank you 🙏
@geneharrogate6911 · 4 months ago (edited)
Really no intention of ever sailing, and the most nautical thing I do is bob around alpine lakes here in Aus angling for trout and salmon. <br>However, between this and that Lady K channel, can't get enough of these sea tales and all the good an bad that comes with the lifestyle. Good stuff.
3
@XeonTSD · 4 months ago
I was on a friends cat sailing East across the Gulf. About 150-200 miles from Key west the steering cable broke. We had to get the emergency tiller out and once that process was finally done, we set up some lines from the tiller out on the port pontoon, to the cockpit. One person could sit with a line in each hand steer that way. Note: Removing and servicing the cap to your emergency tiller yearly is a lesson I learned. Roughly 10 year old boat at the time, getting that cap off took forever, meanwhile we had zero steering ability.
5
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