Wind Vanes

[charles]

[edelweiss]

[clonjers]

[susanmarie3]

[charles]

So far, it seems the Monitor is very hearty and all stainless which is good. The cape horn is the cheapest and has all the lines below which is nice, but looks hard to install (measurments must be exact). The Voyager is easiest to install (2 hours by customer, 45 min. at factory), but I'm not sure of the stresses from the extended bracket to get it past the pushpit. The Hydrovane is by far the most expensive, looks second easist to install (with good measurements) and has no lines or pullies. Then the only question is how well do they work? Each one has been installed on a Hans so there should be some more info to glean.

Charles
sv Seagate 38T
Ventura, CA

[susanmarie3]

The key to making the windvane work is to have the sails trimmed to your course we can balance the sails on Penelope and she will hold her course relative to the wind. Without the monitor. If you are wrestling the weather helm so is the windvane. The Monitor works so well we named it Oster. Let Oster take the helm. One thing to keep in mind is all windvanes steer relative to the wind. If the wind shifts so does your course. An auto pilot steers to your compass course regardless of where the wind is coming from.

[stormbay]

We have a saye's rig on our 41. We have yet to use it, but one of the previous owner of our boat sailed from the u.s. to new zealand with it and had nothing but good things to say. It apparently does well with heavy displacement boats like the HC's. Its a simple design with little that can go wrong, made by the same company who makes monitor but not as expensive (close to the price of the cape horn). Installation also seems like it would be very simple, and there are no control lines running through the cockpit. Just bolts on to the back platform and a piece bolts on to the rudder (see photos here the top 4 are the saye's rig and the rest are the monitor)

[lonesome_boatman]

Charles
The Cap Horn fitted to Respite works like a dream and is very easy to set up and use. I do not agree that they are hard to install, whilst exact measurments should be maintained they are probablly not critical. My unit was beat up from Katrina when I brought Respite. The vertical tube looked like a banana and the bottom horizontal tube was collasped. The unit still worked fine. I rebuilt it with only the damaged tubes needing replacement. The beauty of Cap Horn units is there pure simplicty, no gears and minimal internal parts. I have never had any experience with other types so take my comments as a personal view only.

[charles]

Well, I decided on the Hydrovane, sent the down payment today. I'll post pictures as I install. Thanks for all the helpful input

Charles

sv Seagate (soon to be Phixius) 38T
Ventura, CA

[bazzer69]

HI, as the owner of a 38T which is currently fitted with a Cape HORN wind vane I would like to comment that mine is not all that user friendly. The major problem is that the control lines go to the steering quadrant via a couple of blocks fitted to the top of the quadrant. Fine when in use, but when I don't want to use the wind vane and the control lines are slack the blocks "fall" over and easily jam the quadrant when steering with the wheel. Our last trip resulted in damaged blocks and a steering quadrant that was tilted. Ended up just using the AutoPILOT. At the moment I am trying to figure out a system to prevent this happening.
The Cape Horn is featured in the Cape Horn web site, which is a bit of surprise to me since there is no way it can work in the current configuration.
I might add that it was fitted by the PO who originally had a monitor installed, why it was changed is beyond me!
On my previous boat, a True North 34, I fitted a Aries 4, a wonderful Wind Vane. I really wish I had it on the Hans 38.
Bazzer

[edelweiss]

Charles I sent you a PM

[edelweiss]

Bazzer69,
I hope you can get some assistance from Yves at Cape Horn he has installed many of these personally and obviously knows the product. The Cape Horn is a good vane and should work well for you. I realize you were not the original purchaser so I think others considering this device would be keen to hear about your progress. Best wishes
Mark

[bazzer69]

[chickenbone]

A little late here, but I installed a Hydro-vane on my 38T last summer and love it.

The install was about as simple as can be, did it over a 3 day weekend and was out sailing and using it that same weekend.

It even worked in great in light winds, which even hydro-vane says is the conditions where it may have some issues on heavy boats.

CB....

[charles]

Could you post some pictures? I'm still wrestling with where I'm installing mine. Did you go with the L or X mast? thnx

Charles