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Thread: Wind Vane

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    1

    Default Wind Vane

    I'm new to this list and haven't seen any threads regarding wind vanes. In particular I'm interesting in anyone with experience with the Cape Horn model. The info on the web site is impressive [ www.capehorn.com] and i'm interested in getting user feedback.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum. One of the mistakes I made in setting my boat up was researching thw heck out of wind vanes and buying what looked very impressive and state of the art. The vane I selected has broken each time I've used it in a TransPac. Forget the hype: buy a Monitor and if you have the time, buy it used. Used Monitors show up regularly in Latitude 38 for half of list price and as often as not some of them have never been installed.

    Bill Merrick

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    134

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    I can second the vote of confidence for the Monitor. I've had one through 5 transpacs and never had a problem. And if you buy the MRud attachment, you also meet the requirement for an emergency rudder.

    - Mark

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Mateo
    Posts
    124

    Default

    Third vote for the Monitor. It was the only self steering I had in the 2000 TP.

    Also have the M-Rud.

    Phil

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Vancouver British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    133

    Default

    Have not used a Cape Horn windvane, but have met a few people who have them, and they seem to think they are just fine. Only shortcoming I notice is that they usually have their linkage to the rudder INSIDE the boat - this takes up space and i am unsure how easy/convenient that are to engage and disengage from steering the boat.

    I think any of the MAJOR windvane manufacturers are OK - everyone (almost) seems to swear by the one they have.

    I have well over 50,000 miles on a Fleming 501. It has proven to be a reliable and robust piece of equipment. I would happily buy another one.

    When looking for a windvane for my present boat (I had a Navik on the last one) Here are a few things I thought were important
    1) ease of lifting oar out of water
    2) distance of oar out of water when raised
    3) ease of replacing steering lines in a hurry
    4) brute strength of vane and attachment points to hull
    5) minimum amount of linkage arms and levers


    Jim/Haulback

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    2,095

    Default

    A Navik steered my Ranger 29 across to Hawaii in 1996 and worked great.

    Another Navik was doing great in July 2008, but the underwater paddle exploded sometime in the middle of the night while I had the windvane "unhooked" and an autopilot was driving. It had driven me along just fine for the first 9 days of the SHTP in my Santa Cruz 27.

    The Navik is really light, but it's not made any more so if you want one you'll have to buy a used one or score a deal on one that someone never took out of the box. It's getting really hard (read: next to impossible) to buy replacement parts. Also, the one real drawback to the Navik is that it's essentially impossible to pull the pendulum oar out of the water while the boat is moving. "impossible" might be exaggerating, but *Very Risky* to fingers and wrists and hands is no exaggeration at all. There's a reason I left the oar in the water that night.

    I gotta agree with most of the above posts, unless you have a small boat, go with the Monitor.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    On board 'Nereida' when possible - in S.Africa just now
    Posts
    33

    Default Windsteering ......

    Quote Originally Posted by Ergo View Post
    One of the mistakes I made in setting my boat up was ... buying what looked very impressive and state of the art. The vane I selected has broken each time I've used it in a TransPac. ....

    Bill Merrick

    Hi, Bill (and Happy New Year to you and everyone else!)

    I'm writing this from sub-zero (C) Sweden! ...I just wondered what was the model of your 'bad' windsteering gear?? I'm about to instal a Hydrovane, which has come thoroughly recommended by several reliable sources, on my new 'Nereida' - she's a centre-cockpit again (actually an up-dated version of my previous Najad) so a Monitor would be awkward. It also incorporates the 'emergency rudder' requirement of the SHTP....

    Cheers,
    Jeanne "Nereida"

    www.svnereida.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    166

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    Hi Jeanne,

    Best of luck with the new boat. The windvane I had was the Fleming with auxialiary rudder. As far as I know the Flemings without the aux. rudder are fine. The Aux. rudder model had design problems with the interface between the servo pendulum and the rudder. I really liked the concept - no lines to the cockpit and an independent emergency rudder that was self-steering. It would have been a great choice if it weren't so subject to breaking.

    Bill

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    On board 'Nereida' when possible - in S.Africa just now
    Posts
    33

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    Thanks, Bill!

    Sounds as though the Hydrovane could meet most of your requirements (seems to behave fine with auxiliary rudder but no servo-pendulum)... let's hope my experience with it comes up to expectations. (Keeping my fingers crossed - will keep you posted!) Certainly, the Fleming without auxiliary rudder sounds way more reliable than with, judging from Jim's experience. When it was moving freely, my old Windpilot (with auxiliary rudder AND servo-pendulum) worked fine - but the aluminium and seawater mix too often gave problems if it hadn't been used for even a short time, which is why I'm not getting it again. Pity, since the basic design is good and sturdy...

    (Had a nice sprinkling of snow here this morning - now turned to heavy rain... hope it doesn't turn to ice overnight....it's winter up north here!! I'm really appreciating the seat warmer in the car I hired - what do you reckon to a seat warmer by the chart table???!! Tempting.... power needs are very low....!)
    Last edited by nereida; 01-22-2009 at 02:05 PM. Reason: Oops! Does have auxiliary rudder but no servo.... Tired!!
    Jeanne "Nereida"

    www.svnereida.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    1

    Default wind vane thread ?

    my apologies for veering of course/ topic here, but I too was hoping to find a wind vane category here. My first post, new member, voyaging wanna be, working on my Alden schooner, "Saltwind" she was given up for dead in FL and I foolishly rushed in to save her. You can find her on American Schooner Assoc. website...amschooner.org then go to the schooners page, down to Saltwind..wish me luck on her rebuild.
    I see a vane on Larry and Lin Pardey's aftstay and wondered how they built it. Since Saltwind has boomkin also I liked the concept of vane on that stay.
    I will have to rig an aux tiller, (good idea anyway) and declutch the wheel.
    thanks

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