Pointing the Wind Generator

[macbeth]

MY Wind Generator (WG), a Rutland 913 has a hole in the Fin. How can I constantly have a line tied to this hole so I can always grab it to, for example, turn it and tie it out of the wind. The following are seen as constraints to any design: 1) A line "dangling" from the hole could get caught up in the fins or the support structure 2) I'm 5'8" high, the WG is 9' high on the pole 3) The support poles' connections are 7'6" up on the pole .

All suggestions welcomed !

[maxingout]

We had two Aerogen 6 wind generators on Exit Only. We developed a simple reliable system for feathering the wind generators when we wanted to stop them. In the little hole at the back of the wind vane, I put an small loop of line spliced in a circle back onto itself. That loop was permanently mounted through the hole in the wind vane.

With the loop through the hole, I could reach up with a boat hook and grab the loop in an emergency to feather the generator if I needed to stop the blades from turning.

However, my usual method of controlling the wind generator did not involve the use of a boat hook. That was simply the emergency back up.

I attached a line to the loop, and I controlled the direction of the generator using that line, and I kept the line tied off and out of the way. During our circumnavigation, we never had the line engage the blades of the wind generator.

The line that went through the loop was set up so that I could remove the line using a boat hook if I wanted to ditch the line. Here is how I did it.

I attached a short length of yacht braid (6mm braid) to a stainless steel D-shackle. I then put the D-shackle with attached line on a boat hook, and I held on to the bitter end of the line and used the boat hook to pass the D-shackle through the loop on the wind vane. Once the shackle had passed through the loop, I shook the shackle off the boat hook. The shackle and line would then drop down where I would catch it. I then passed the bitter end of the line through the D-shackle and then pulled on the bitter end of the line. This caused the D shackle to slide like a slip knot up to the loop attached to the wind vane.

Anytime I wanted to remove the control line, I reached up with my boat hook, I grabbed the D-shackle with the boat hook, and pulled it down the bitter end of the line removing it from the loop.

It's harder to describe than it is to do. It worked for us without a problem.

The idea was to be able to remove the control line using a boat hook to engage the D-shackle sliding it down the control line.

Check out these pictures, and you will probably get the idea.

AEROGEN 6 WIND GENERATORS*** Before I set sail

[macbeth]

Yes, thanks. I'll make the closed loop out of 3 strand "as thick as will go through the Fin hole" in the hope that will keep the loop "open" for the D ring (or circle I guess) and line to go through. I think the D ring should be large enough for the hook of the boat hook to go through when "undoing" the tie.

Thanks again.

[macbeth]

So I have installed my wind generator and controller, and it actually works ! Not much amperage at 10 knots however !

Instead of your D ring, I used a main halyard shackle. These have a bar in the middle of them, making two "holes". I attached a line (red) to top part of the shackle. I dropped the shackle and line through the Fin loop. Jiggling the line made the shackle come down to where I could catch it.

Then I threaded the original red line through the upper hole and ALSO attached a thin yellow line to the bottom part of the bottom hole of the shackle. Then I pulled on the red line, which caused the shackle and the yellow line to reach the fin loop.

This way, I use the red line to do the pointing, and I can use the yellow line to pull down the shackle, whereupon I can pull down the red line and the yellow line.

I also found that the best way to stop the blades from revolving, was to thread a BIG loop of line through the fin's loop and then onto a blade. Tie off the bitter end to somewhere near he pole. The fin's loop holds up and stops the BIG loop line from slipping off the blade. When ready, loosen the tie, and using a boathook, pull down the BIG loop from the blade. Then using the bitter end, pull the holding line back to the deck. Why a BIG loop ? This way no knot has to pass through the fin's loop, thus avoiding and sticking of the line and the fins loop.

Thanks VERY much for the idea. It's amazing how helpful a small device can be !

[Vasco]

Another way to do this is to put a loop in the line from the fin and put this loop around the pole. Lots of slack it'll slide down the pole and you can grab it when you want and swing it out of the wind.

[macbeth]

Thanks for input, but your suggestion is not possible with my situation. Support pole is hidden away at the back of the bimini (I'd have to climb out onto the back rail to reach up) and the loop couldn't come down low enough for me to catch it as the pole is high and so are the pole support straps (the latter stoping any loop from going down very far).

[maxingout]

I do a similar thing as you when I don't want the blades to turn at all. I turn the blades out of the wind until they stop, and then I take my red control line and loop it over a couple of blades and tie it off. That stops everything from turning, and when I want it to go once again, I spin the blades in reverse which makes the lines dtrop down where I get them.

The only time I put the ropes over the blades is when there is a storm with winds over 35-40 knots. The rest of the time, I simply feather the windvane with the rope. Simple solution.