Originally Posted by
Administrator
Rob, that's a grim story...your Little Beetle story about taking the hits that cracked the windows.
Anyway, on Ankle Biter (SC27) I use an autohelm 2000 and a Navik Windvane. Note that I"ve only owned the boat for 6 months, tho, so I'm no expert \, yet. I've not tried the windvane with a spinnaker, yet. The 2000 will handle the boat with a spinnaker in under 15 knots, above that, all bets are off. However, it will drive the boat quite happily under the kiteship kite, at least for about half an hour, in 15 knots of wind, but that's all I've tested it in.
I'm a serious windvane fan. They don't burn electrons and they steer the boats...this Navik steers the Santa Cruz 27, my Santana 3030, and my old Ranger 29, just great in all conditions including wing and wing, downwind. ditto, if the spinnaker is up under 12 knots.
If I could have ANYTHING, and forget the money, I'd probably get an NKE control head, an apparent wind angle indicator and set it up to drive an autohelm 8000 tiller unit....or something like that.
This post is by me, obviously since I'm the forum Administrator...
1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"