Howdy Sailors!
Reason for this Topic:
I have sailed about 2,000 miles using a
windvane (Monitor) to steer a
sloop. I found the
windvane to be reliable, and very helpful. Based on that experience, I recommend them, and want one on my own
boat in the future. Recently, I saw a thread where the CF
Member is considering
purchase of a Yawl for a long
cruise from the
USA to the
South Pacific. This leads me to ask the CF Members if you have a Yawl or
Ketch to please answer a few questions (shown below) and if possible add a
photo of your own
Ketch or Yawl with your windvane in use or its
installation.
For the purpose of this topic, I would like the focus to be on the use of a windvane on a YAWL or ketch, and not as a discussion of the general merits of a windvane or their use on a
sloop or
cutter etc.
While I have seen many photos of windvanes installed on ketches, I don't recall seeing one installed on a yawl. On most ketches (almost all that I have seen), the mizzen boom does not extend past the stern, so it would not cause the same possible problems that a yawl's mizzen boom could. But there are exceptions, where a ketch has a mizzen boom that does extend over the stern.
A common characteristic of yawls is that their mizzen boom often extends past the stern (or transom). I suspect this could potentially cause the use of a windvane to be a problem. Put another way, the mizzen boom may conflict or swing across the windvane's position, and if the
wind vane's air vane is higher than the mizzen boom there could be a problem.
Here are two possible concerns with a
wind vane installation on a YAWL:
1. Will the yawl's mizzen sail interfere with the use or effectiveness of a windvane?
2. Will the mizzen boom affect the proper operation of the windvane, or cause problems when tacking or gybing the
boat?
While I appreciate your answers based on your experience, I do think that more examples would be helpful, because of the differences of boat designs and
wind vane designs too. So, I do hope that CF Members will "Show and Tell" with their own boat example, so we can all see how different boats are using the
gear.
IF you have a yawl with a windvane and it works great, tell us.
IF you have a yawl or ketch with a mizzen boom and mizzen sail that interferes with your
wind vane, tell us.
I can also imagine that on some points of sail this is not a problem, as when sailing off the wind or down wind in the
trade winds, the mizzen boom and sail could be to leeward of the wind vane position and so not causing a problem then. But, what about other points of sail?
I could be wrong, but it appears to me that the the windvane "paddle" or "air vane" (the part that sticks up in the air) of a typical windvane may be higher than the mizzen boom on some yawls. Or, put another way, I suspect the mizzen boom would swing into the air vane if tacking or gybing.
Just to clarify, does that happen when you tack your boat? Does the air vane paddle have to be taken down or off or held down prior to tacking or gybing?
In other words, does the windvane air vane (the part that sticks up high in the air) interfere with your tacking or gybing the mizzen boom? Does it ever get hit by the mizzen boom?
Please answer the following:
1. Your boat model and length and type (ketch or yawl)
2. Your windvane model
3. Your windvane's effectiveness on all points of sail. Do you find it more effective on your ketch or Yawl on some points of sail more than others?
4. Has your windvane been effective when going to windward? Please describe its performance on your ketch or yawl. Remember to mention the type of rig and windvane you have.
4. Have you seen any conflicts or issues with the operation of the windvane because of the mizzen sail or mizzen boom? Does the air off the mizzen sail "spoil" the windvane or affect it negatively?
5. Does your windvane air vane stick up as high or higher than your mizzen boom? Or is the air vane lower and so there is no problem with the boom hitting it?
6. Based on your experience with your windvane on your ketch or yawl, would you recommend installing one on another ketch or yawl that is intended for long distance cruising or passages?
If possible, please post a photo of your windvane installation on your boat.
Thank you for your participation and experience sharing here on CF.