Wind vane

pelagicasd · Jun 21, 2008

Ouch! What the world needs is good self steering for small boats costing less than a $1000.00.
That rig looks good but it costs more than some of us have paid for the boats. I only paid a bit
more for my Yanmar! Walt

To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comFrom: vega2055@...: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:44:35 -0700Subject: [AlbinVega] Wind vane

Hi All !One of the most interresting wind vane desing for the Vega ,solid ,simple ,and discret is the Caphorn .Fitted one 3 years ago on my vega .Should have done it years before. Check Alinvega27 on www.caphorn.comPatriceDécouvrez les styles qui font sensation sur Yahoo! Québec Avatars.http://cf.avatars.yahoo.com/

stevebirch2002 · Jun 21, 2008

Hi ll, looks like the new "Mister Vee" might be the answer. Couple of Vegas now have them fitted and one Vega is sailing round teh UK so we will get some user reports soon.

Cheers

Steve B

pelagicasd · Jun 21, 2008

Hi Steve, Is there a website for them? Walt

________________________________

To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
From: steve@...
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:25:57 +0100
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Wind vane

Hi ll, looks like the new "Mister Vee" might be the answer. Couple of Vegas now have them fitted and one Vega is sailing round teh UK so we will get some user reports soon.

Cheers

Steve B

stevebirch2002 · Jun 21, 2008

Hi All

Have a look at www.mistervee.com Nothing to do with me but Ive heard some good reports and I have chatted to the guy a few times. He seems to know what he is on about and the price is right!

Cheers

Steve

pelagicasd · Jun 22, 2008

Hi Steve.Very interesting site. I'm looking forward to hearing what other Vega users are saying about the system. Know anything about how hard the DIY offer is to assemble? Walt
________________________________

To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
From: steve@...
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:43:50 +0100
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Wind vane

Hi All

Have a look at www.mistervee.com Nothing to do with me but Ive heard some good reports and I have chatted to the guy a few times. He seems to know what he is on about and the price is right!

Cheers

Steve

stevebirch2002 · Jun 22, 2008

Supposed to be quite straightforward from what Ive heard.

Cheers

Steve B

SVFlyAway · Jun 22, 2008

Steve,

Any info for us Yanks on getting one?

Also, I have a Navik. At one time you were trying to get a channel
established for spare parts now that the Monitor folks have dropped it and
Plastimo has picked it up. Any luck?

Chris

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Steve Birch
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 7:49 AM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Wind vane

Supposed to be quite straightforward from what Ive heard.

Cheers

Steve B

stevebirch2002 · Jun 23, 2008

Hi Chris

The Navik was always a Plastimo Product and they appointed agents worldwide. They have now stopped producing the vane but still carry a few spares. I tried to see if I could carry on manufacturing but they have refused to let me take the enterprise forward.

Sorry.

If anyone wants one of the Mister Vee vanes then let me kow and i will see if I can negoitate a price for Vega owners.

Cheers

Steve B

btfag0s · Jun 23, 2008

I'm interested, though I doubt there's much chance of a discount. What I
would be interested in though is a recommended fixing kit and suggested
routing for the control lines.

Alisdair

groundhogyh · Jun 25, 2008

Just checking.. I posted on this before, but..
Does anyone here successfully use the original boom roller design to reef their main sail?

It's hard for me to believe that albin would build over 3000 boats with this design, and it's totally flawed.

Are there any written instructions that albin published on using this system?

thanks,
rb

imbissfrank · Jun 25, 2008

Wilhelm likes it! I am sure you will be hearing from him, just as soon as he reads this. I would also like to hear more opinions on it.
Frank Gallardo Jr
sv Cin Cin V-2184
"May the warm wind at your back not be your own"

wxt8981 · Jun 25, 2008

Hi Frank;
you got it right- it may not be the best system, but when the need for reefing comes and I'm sailing single handed, I really don't care what it looks like, I just want to go through a storm safely.
Wilhelm, V-257

pjacobs55 · Jun 25, 2008

We had it on a 54 yawl I was mate on a while back. Long heavy boom and big main. It was my job to reef the main. We eased the main sheet pretty well (but not so it flogged - a bit of wind in the sail helps it roll on smooth), set up the topping lift, eased the old man-killing reel winch so a few feet of sail dropped, rolled up the boom and eased the lift. Nice thing was there was no need to leave the mast. I didn't mind it a bit and I was familiar with slab reefing at the time.

If it was screaming and we were on the wind we set a trysail, so I never had occasion to roll a whole bunch of main. But we roller reefed a lot.

Journeyman has slab reefing and I'm not going back but roller reefing worked well on that big yawl. I believe the cut of the sail is important - if the cut isn't right the sail may roll up badly.Nicholas Walsh
Nicholas H. Walsh P.A.
111 Commercial Street
Portland Maine 04101
Tel. 207/772-2191
fax 207/774-3940

This email was sent from the law firm of Nicholas H. Walsh P.A. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If you suspect that you were not intended to receive this email, please delete it and notify us as soon as possible. Thank you.
From: WL
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:27 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] boom roller..Hi Frank;
you got it right- it may not be the best system, but when the need for reefing comes and I'm sailing single handed, I really don't care what it looks like, I just want to go through a storm safely.
Wilhelm, V-257

btfag0s · Jun 25, 2008

I have two things to add to that:

1. You should take a tuck in the sail to avoid the boom hanging too low
when it's wound up. A simple solution is to roll a sail bag into the clew
end and the extra bulk takes the place of the tuck.

2. use a reefing strop. This is a strip of sailcloth with a couple of feet
of rope attached that you roll into the reef. The rope is for tying on to
your kicker so that you can flatten the sail.

Hope that helps,

Alisdair

pjacobs55 · Jun 25, 2008

I may get flogged for this, but here goes anyway .... My best advice
is to offer the reefing handle to Davey Jones, and set up your main
for slab reefing. I beat home today with a double-reefed main (slab)
that was nice and flat with perfect shape, and it only took me 90
seconds to put in single-handed, and the boat pointed well.

As a side note, the Vega sails well with just a jib, so maybe the
easiest thing to do in a blow is furl the main and sail with jib
alone. With a smaller jib she points well, has a balanced helm, and
sails with less angle of heel.

Hope this helps ... I can fell those lashes already ;-)

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'

wxt8981 · Jun 26, 2008

Hi Peter;
nobody is going to flog you. First of all I respect the opinion from others. I've used roller reefing a few times, twice in combination with the storm jib. It was a matter of survival, and it worked. The boat made headway and that's all I cared for.
I'm getting older now (and I'm not that strong anymore), hence I try to stay away from storms, and if I get into a situation where reefing the main is a good idea, I just furl up the main, and sail with either the jib or the storm jib, and I don't hessitate to start the engine.
Wilhelm, V-257

groundhogyh · Jun 27, 2008

So I guess there are no official instructions on this system?

I was thinking along the same lines with the "throw in the sailbag" idea. I was thinking of making up a piece of foam of a certain shape that might let the sail roll up properly. Kind of like the headsail roller furler people ended up doing.

Also, I was wondering if it made any difference which way you crank the handle with respect to the oncomming wind. Thinking you might want the roll to be on the lee side for better sail shape?

Another comment...
If you go this way as your reefing method, I am thinking you will have to keep the mainsheet attached to the end of the boom as it was designed. You probably can't move the sheet to mid boom. Also maybe issues with your boom vang as the boom has to roll. Maybe unhook it for reefing.

Would there be a way to distribute the luff cars by shifting the sail along the boom track as it comes down? Just wondering..
Think I read something where they maybe unhooked the clew and pulled the sail aft and folded the clew back into the roll?? I didn't quite understand as the instructions were badly written and written for another boat (and then that little reading comprehension problem I have. lol).

rb

btfag0s · Jun 27, 2008

Taking a tuck in the sail or putting a bag in, and using a reefing strop for
the kicker/vang, is standard dinghy sailing practice. Try Google.

The direction of the roll is irrelevant if you are likely to be tacking.
Sail shape is controlled more by cunningham and kicker.

Alisdair

Vega1447 · Jun 27, 2008

Hi Roy
You can get a "reefing claw" - a C-shaped device that grips the boom and
that allows the boom to rotate.

Obviously mainsheet attaches to a shackle on the bottom of the claw.
Common on dinghies..

John

John A. Kinsella Ph: +353-61-202148 (Direct)
+353-61-333644 x 2148 (Switch)
Mathematics Dept. e-mail: John.Kinsella@...
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