Windvane for Hunter 22

Ed Schenck · Sep 1, 2010

First, there is no wrong forum. Your original post was fine where it was. Secondly, congrats on your new boat. That is every sailor's dream. Mine was already twenty years old when I bought her.

I do think a windvane is too much complexity for a 22 foot boat. In addition you cannot motor with it. I notice that your are in the river. I know it is a very large river but I still think you will be motoring a good deal of the time. For that reason I would suggest a tiller pilot with a remote. Both Raymarine and Simrad make them. I am partial to Simrad because I have had their wheelpilot for nine years without a problem.
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=250274&aID=604J5&cID=FROOGLE_250274

P.S. I really like your choice. Quite a difference from the original 22:
http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/22/22Index.html .

kenn · Sep 2, 2010

Salut Marc, et bienvenu!

Our Sandpiper is under 19 ft, so you have a big boat

Congratulations!

We have a Tiller-Tamer, and I find it handy when single-handing; it gives me a few moments to do something else without going off course.

I agree with other posters that it's probably not practical to put a commercial windvane
steering unit on your boat. But you can always review the designs, and maybe try some experiments.

Some people use the electric tiller pilots on their small boats. They are noisy and draw alot of current from the battery, but they usually work ok.

Bonne chance!

(PS - a Laser is absolutely a real sailboat, and loads of fun too)

Joe · Sep 4, 2010

Commercially made windvanes are complex, heavy and terribly expensive and must be custom fitted to the boat....

Here is an inexpensive solution: http://www.jsward.com/steering/index.shtml

I would supplement a wind powered system with an electronic tiller pilot that steers to a course, allowing you to steer under power when the wind dies. You should have an adequate battery bank and alternate means of charging them if you plan to do any cruising.

Joe11688 · Sep 4, 2010

racegig said:
This is a copy of a thread that I guess was in the wrong forum. Sorry about that.

I just ordered a New 2011 Hunter 22. Should take delivery in 2 weeks.

I'm kind of a newbie in sailing.

I still have my Laser 1 and also have the Sail To Go sail kit on my canoe/inflatable kayak. But I guess they are not "real sailboats" since they only have one sail.

http://www.sailboatstogo.com/

But I did a yoyage on a 55 feets sailboat (can't remember the model but I know it was made in Hong kong) as a deck-hand. The trip was from Salem, Mass. to the Virgin Islands (in september). It took 13 days and we sailed in the midle of a Hurricane that had a name (but I forgot it). Gigantics waves crashed over the boat a few times and I got sick. Had to learn fast. It was like twenty years ago. I was a real complete newbie then but that was then that I decided that I love this sport.

Anyway...

I want to install some sort of self steering system on the Hunter 22 2011. I have ordered a davis Tiller tamer and will give it a try.

But I'm looking at selfsteering Windvanes on the net and I think they are cools.

Some day I want to make somewhat longs expeditions with this boat here on the St-lawrence river in Quebec City, Canada and would like to have a real self steering device.

Do you know of really small windvanes that would fit on this open transom boat (fitted with an 6 hp outboard) ?

http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/22/22Index.html

Is a windvane kind of overkill ? anyone have one on a 22 feets or less daysailer ?

Buy the way, on my Atlantic trip on the 55 footer, the automatic pilot broke on the very first day and we had to steer all the way to Tortola Island (and only 3 persons on board) ! No windvane...

Marc

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.

Marc,
I think you're better off with an electronic autopilot for this boat. Unless you have the keel version Hunter 22, the centerboard and keel/centerboard sailboats don't really balance out all that well for wind vane steering. Take my 1986 O'Day 222 for instance; when I let go of the tiller, the boat wants to sail around in circles. They won't point up into the wind and stay there like a keel boat. Years ago, I tried the tiller to sheet steering on my boat and it was more trouble than what it was worth. I had taken that idea out of a magazine back then called "Small Boat Journal." I installed a couple of cheek blocks on my aft combings for it and I was kind of sorry later that I did that. After many years have gone by, I finally removed them last year and had to fill in the holes with epoxy. Myself, if I was to take a 22' sailboat on a long ocean trip, it wouldn't be my O'Day 222 keel/centerboard. I would take a full keel Bristol 22 or something similar to it. You're going to love the autopilot. I wouldn't sail my boat without one.
Joe

Windvane for Hunter 22

racegig

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Ed Schenck

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kenn

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racegig

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Joe

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Joe11688

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