Slider,
These parts are often available on eBay for a discount. Some are new in the package and some are not. As with anything on eBay, use your own judgment about the reliability of the supplier. I've had mostly good luck.
Sometimes Amazon can also turn up a surprise source.
In the interim, it can be helpful to put some strips or yarn or similar indicators on the shrouds to give an indication of the wind, as on a sailing dinghy. I did this for a year while my wind instruments were out, and it was sometimes helpful as a quick check after a tack or gybe to see if I was at the angle I had last time, or if I was too deep.
Going nearly dead downwind, the instruments are slow and not reliable, probably because of the upflow from the main. The apparent wind will be shifty. Often the feel of the wind on the back of my neck is as good an indicator as any for whether I am starting to sail by the lee or a little high, but this method doesn't work for everyone. Dennis Conner said he would get a haircut before a big race to better feel the wind on his neck.
