Fleming Wind Vane - Wont work ?

[ribbony]

Yes, we are thinking that the control lines to cog on top are for course setting.

As for online manuals, there is a very old copy that says nothing about the course setting cog. We have an original copy of the user manual that came with the unit, it is the same, no mention, It is though Kevin Fleming assumed we would know what to do, as the descriptions are very vague. Bit like buying a cheap bit of electronics from China via eBay, the instructions are written in chinglish and you take several guesses as to what they are saying and then there are gaps in instructions that bring you to a standstill.

[gjordan]

Ribbony, on the thread about down wind sailing with a wind vane, a member called Snowpetral posted about how he trims his Flemming. Maybe you could PM him or go to that thread and ask him question, since it sounds like he does very well with his Flemming. Good Luck______Grant.

[ribbony]

We had a short sail the other day to try it out for the first time since the many discussions on this thread.

It was a rough day on the water but we got an hour of upwind sailing before we turned around.

[ribbony]

In that hour we got the sails balanced and tried the vane. It did not work at first but just before we had to pull the pin we got it to steer a course in a corridor of about 30 degrees. That was way too wild a swing in the conditions but it did steer.

We tried it on e return with the wind behind but no result from that. Back on the mooring we assessed the results and believe that the direction of the vane indicted in the literature is not correct, taking ng a suggest in from above we rotated top 180 degrees and noticed that the response of the vane in the wind was not so exaggerted.

So we believe that the issue was oversteering in the previous attempts. We are itching to get back out there to try the new theories again, but the weather is foul.

Will let you all know when we have done another sail. We are optimistic about the potential outcome.

Watching the vane work in the 25 knots without the servo rudder was just what we needed to do. We could see the correct action of the wind paddle in play and could change settings and position until we had it doing just what we wanted. Dancing about in the wind rater than thumping from side to side without any hovering in the middle. The more we angled the wind vane back away from the breeze the less reactive it was.

The steering was checked and though it was light to the touch it is slightly harder to turn in one direction than the other, so we lubed the system below and that was an improvement. One block was also a bit less free, so that was lubed.

[Wotname]

Thanks for the update

[bazzer]

Why don't you go online and look at the manuals from several other windvanes ? The Capehorn and the monitor are available and are very good at explaining how a servo pendulum works? This might just help you understand how to set yours up. The yawing you describe is not right, but you have a excellent windvane and it should work without a problem.
Maybe if you give us your boat name and where she is another member might come and help!

[ribbony]

Downloaded both manuals for the vanes you mentioned, will study at length latter in the day. The monitor manual is very detailed and we should be able to gleen some good info from them.

We are hoping that tomorrow will be OK for a test drive again, just under 20 knots predicted.

[ribbony]

Yeeeeha - it worked

Many thanks to all. Charliehows spotted the issue and Gjordan backed it up.

The critical factor is the direction of the top turret is reversed to that shown in the technical drawings and photos of the units on display. The high side facing the wind works a treat (once we reversed the lines to the wheel as well) Reversing the turret required reversing the steering lines.

Now we have seen it in action it is a bit more obvious as to the mechanics of the wind paddle operation being too vigourous and extreme in the way we used it before.

We did not test it with the main up, we did some hauling and reaching with just a jib and it worked well in all those scenarios, even motoring it worked so long as the wind was strong (15-20 knots).

We did not try it in light air as it was a blustery day on Botany Bay.

[charliehows]

yeah, by angling the axle back it has a natural damping effect on the vanes movement - thats the theory but i was pretty flummoxed when i saw that video with the vane working what seemed to me to be backwards. I built mine on the principle that an inclined axle gave dampening and when i saw it in action i was pretty impressed as i recall. Glad you got the thing working, they're supposed to be pretty damn good units. Now you have all the fun of figuring out what sail combinations work on what point of sail ahead of you...

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by ribbony

Yeeeeha - it worked
.

Congrats, great units, Looks like yours is the second generation major. My folks have one just like it which occasionally steers their 22t gaff ketch. My old one (now sold with snow petrel) was a first gen with a different course setting arrangement.

It is always hard to get them set up in flukey conditions, but once you have got it right and are used to it's foibles it will be worth it's weight in gold.

Oh, and Adams 35's are great boats, I have done a few trips on two different steel ones and they were both great.

Cheers

Ben

[ribbony]

Ben - We still have to sort out the best way to rig up the course setting knob on the unit as our rope was just temporay and hard to adjust.

It is a Minor, not a Major and pertty sure it is first generation. Have not found any photos of older designs than ours. But if there is something that we have wrong then do point it out.

Love your website, sailing to Antarctica was the dream once. Managed to work as a chef on a small adventure cruise ship for several voyages o the peninsular, weddel sea, Sth Georgia, etc. So the need to get down there now is satisfied a little. But given the chance I would be off again if the right opportunity appeared.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by ribbony

It is a Minor, not a Major and pertty sure it is first generation. Have not found any photos of older designs than ours. But if there is something that we have wrong then do point it out.

Ahh, that might explain it, yes now I think of it I haven't seen a minor with the old majors Aries style ratcheting adjustment, maybe he built the minors and the new majors at the same time, They are a much more polished unit with more castings.

Seems I am becoming an old self steering gear buff, I have a collection of photo's of weird units and like to talk for hours with other similarly enthusiastic antique wind vane owners owners...

Ben - We still have to sort out the best way to rig up the course setting knob on the unit as our rope was just temporay and hard to adjust.

The way I have seen it done is just like the new flemings. A short endless line wrapped around the knob a few times and through a block lashed with bungy just above 90 degrees to the knob, to reduce the chance of it dropping off. But I am sure you have already figured it out. A freind has the same minor, I might ask her how she works it.

Love your website, sailing to Antarctica was the dream once. Managed to work as a chef on a small adventure cruise ship for several voyages o the peninsular, weddel sea, Sth Georgia, etc.

Thanks, that trip on the ship would have been be great, I would love to get to South Georgia one day . An Adams 35 could safely get to those parts if you wanted to (except the Weddell, that place has a nasty reputation). For me southern south america is well worth spending time in if you get the chance.

All the Best

Ben

[ribbony]

"A short endless line wrapped around the knob a few times and through a block lashed with bungy just above 90 degrees to the knob, to reduce the chance of it dropping off. But I am sure you have already figured it out. A freind has the same minor, I might ask her how she works it."

The bungy is a damn good idea !

Any feedback from someone who has one of these Flemings as to how they set up the course setting dial would be much appreciated.

South Georgia - simply stunning. The peninsula is great but the wildlife on STG is beyond description and makes it very special.

The south west coast of Chile would be the target in SA.

[Tales]

This is a later manual. Hardware looks a bit different but same idea.

http://www.ftp.tognews.com/Projects/...021_4_2009.pdf

Cheers,

Tom

[Malaprop]

I might be asking for help soon as I have just obtained an old Fleming Major with the aries type ratchet adjustment. Once fitted to my Rival 34 I will try it out. It still looks like a nice unit in very good order. Phil George kindly sent me by email an old manual for it so that will help with the install. It would be interesting to know the history of the various models made and the major differences between them. Cheers