Ralph Thank you.You have been most helpful. Have been considering an autohelm--makes sense.Think that a boom kicker,boomvang as helping as well save on the sails from a topping lift easier on the reefing. What size OB would you suggest? Considering a Yamahaw or Honda . Bob

::
:: Another thought on singlehanding: I haven't used it
:: much, but an Autohelm seems to steer my boat pretty
:: well. And it wasn't hard to install. However, I sail on
:: the Great Lakes, mostly in moderate conditions, so I'm
:: not sure how it would work in the ocean off San
:: Francisco. I've never tried it in rough conditions.