Cape Horn Windvane Self-Steering System

[Bambolera]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Well I have installed mine. It took me bloody ages!

Like to see some photos, if possible. I received my gear recently and have yet to muster the courage.

John

[NorthPacific]

Hi John,
If you have a look at our blog. SouthPacificEngagement.com I have stuck some pictures up. I will give you any info you would like. Not being an engineer I made every mistake possible. Having said that now that it is on I feel good about it.
Steve

[Bambolera]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Hi John,
I will give you any info you would like.
Steve

Thanks Steve,

I have to agree that the instructions are lacking. I asked CapeHorn for pictures and never got a response.

My installation will be slightly different from yours (perhaps easier). I have an aft hung rudder on my Westsail; the vane mounts on the end of the boomkin. So, I won't need to drill a hole in the transom.

I'll also post pictures, when I get around to doing the installation.

John

[bazzer]

Since my last post on this thread we have sold our True North and purchase a Hans Christian 38. Tillie came fitted with a Cape Horn windvane which was fitted by Cape Horn. We took it down to Mexico on the Baja Ha Ha and alas could not get the CapeHorn to work well at all. We used our autopilot virtually all the time there and back. Friction was the main problem so the system was just not sensitive enough. I've spoken to Cape Horn who has suggested a couple of fixes. A second issue is the way the control lines are routed on the steering quadrant . One of the blocks got jammed between the quadrant and a strut which badly bent the block. I think I've got that fixed but I'm still working on the friction problem. We shall see, the Aries 4 we had on Tinuviel was wonderful, I wish I had it on Tillie!

[NorthPacific]

Would friction not be a problem with any system? My other thought is the height of the tower. It need's to be in clean air. My friend has an aries and unless sailing down wind he has the same problem.

[bazzer]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Would friction not be a problem with any system? My other thought is the height of the tower. It need's to be in clean air. My friend has an aries and unless sailing down wind he has the same problem.

Of course friction could be a issue with any windvane system, particularly in light winds. In heavy winds not so much. The older Aries used plastic bearings which are well known to swell with age and eventually seize, this seems to be a the problem with the Cape Horn. I'm guessing that regular use of these windvanes would wear the bearings a little to negate the swelling. My Aries 4 had no such problem, using massive bronze gears and bearings. Worked perfectly after many years. My current Cape Horn was fitted in 2003 and then sat on the hard until I purchased Tillie last year. But I'm determined to get it functioning as it should and that includes light downwind use.

[NorthPacific]

Hi Bazzer,
Mine is brand new, just fitted. One of the things that swung me in favour of the CH is its simplicity. To tell you the truth I was unaware that plastic could swell, and there seems so little to the vane. I hope to start testing mine in about a month, I would appreciate any feed back you have as you get her going.

[bazzer]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Hi Bazzer,
Mine is brand new, just fitted. One of the things that swung me in favour of the CH is its simplicity. To tell you the truth I was unaware that plastic could swell, and there seems so little to the vane. I hope to start testing mine in about a month, I would appreciate any feed back you have as you get her going.

I'm not sure of the type of plastic bearing used in any of the windvanes, but when I spoke to Cape Horn on the phone a few days ago they told me of the problem. One of the suggestions was to return the vane for them to inspect it. Not a prospect I relish. I my next visit to the boat I'm going to remove the plastic plugs and have a closer look.

[NorthPacific]

Hi John,

I wrote a nice complaint, saying that I would write the instructions in a non engineers way. Think I upset someone! The biggest flaw I see Are the support struts. It would make installation a breeze if they had made them like a turn buckle. It was a bloody pain constantly undoing then retightening. Only hope it works as well as many claim! Bazzer seems less than impressed.

[NorthPacific]

So has anyone any update on their Capehorn gear now?

[Kamaloha]

FWIW I have had a CH installed on my Tayana 37 for ten years now. It has safely sailed us for many thousands of sea miles. It has been far from perfect, but I can trace all of the problems I have had with it not to Yves' design, but to poor choices I made when installing it... Specifically, I thought 9mm control line seemed large, especially with modern materials, so I substituted 7mm Spectra. That probably would have been OK, except with the smaller line I then chose smaller Harken Carbo blocks. That was NOT OK. Those blocks are not very strong and can't handle the surprisingly large loads needed to steer my big barn door rudder, so have failed regularly. Now I have finally replaced them all with decent blocks, as well as altered other places the line had drag, and now the vane works as it should. Surprisingly, the tower does not have to be all that high, mine places the hinge right at the level of the Bimini. Too high would, I think, generate some untoward steering inputs as the boat rolled in big following seas when downwind, possibly leading to accidental gybes.

Finally, I want to comment that Yves' support has been fantastic. For example, ten years ago they used white delrin plastic in all of the plastic parts. That worked fine, but UV has taken its toll and the exposed parts have crazed. While nothing has failed yet, I mentioned it to Yves when I saw him at the Annapolis boat show this year and he said they now use black Delrin, and would I like all new plastic parts made from the new material? Gee whiz, on a ten year old vane? That sure seems like excellent service to me.
You can see photos of installation including a video of it steering us through the North Atlantic at FTP.tognews.com, look for s/v Kamaloha .

[bazzer]

Mhhh, he did not suggest new plastic parts when i spoke to him, especially considering he installed it in the first place. All the external plastic caps on mine are rotten and crumbling

[NorthPacific]

I will have a look at your vid Kamaloha. As to tower height, it was eves that told me that? In following seas the tower height would not be a factor, How in lighter air more close hauled I think.

I am missing one of the black things, maybe I will get lucky as well. We shall see soon enough.