Windvane in action....

[Joe]

For Hermit and the rest of you blokes regarding the recent discussion on windvanes, here's a clip I lifted from Jesse's site. In her words "there's Parker, working away" (Parker is the name of her windvane.) Just watch it closely ... it's cool to see it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9oB5I0MQU0&feature=player_embedded

The following news article describes Jesse's mechanical device and how it works. Very easy to understand.
http://www.examiner.com/x-23258-Gra...dy-uses-Fleming-windvane-self-steering-system

An additional comment: Amy Sunderland's boat doesn't use a mechanical windvane, instead relying on two electronic auto pilots that require a lot of power. When asked why she didn't have a mechanical device John Vigor (yes, that John Vigor) responded on her blog that her boat was too fast. The apparent wind was so far forward when going 10 knots plus that the mechanical windvane would keep steering the boat off course.

 

[r.oril]

Thanks for the info. I had wondered what that was and how it worked.

 

[sailingdog]

Joe—

That's the same issue many multihulls have with windvanes. However, a multihull will generally have lower loads on the helm, and using an electric autopilot is less of an issue than on a monohull.

 

[Roger Long]

Amy Sunderland's boat doesn't use a mechanical windvane, instead relying on two electronic auto pilots that require a lot of power.

Note that she almost immediately had to put into port because she couldn't generate enough electrical power.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Trim tabs on "outside" rudders

The original auxiliary rudder discussion is here: http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=115595

I just made a PDF of an article from a 1990 Ocean navigator magazine, for fitting a trim tab on a gudgeon & pintle rudder. Interestingly enough, Scanmar Marine had an ad on one of those pages, and they're still in business selling all sort of great self steering stuff.

If anyone's interested, email me.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Also found a 1992 article

about jib sheet to wheel, I'll email it to hermit.

 

[Joe]

about jib sheet to wheel, I'll email it to hermit.

I have a similar article (somewhere, I think).... the self steering methods using the main or jib... and some surgical tubing... are very interesting. In my article, however, all examples used tiller steering. I'm not aware how that method can be applied to a wheel set up, but I'll bet there's some way it could so I'd be interested in seeing your article also.