Windex Questions -- And Poll!

[NorthPacific]

Originally Posted by Caracal

Well, I apparently don't get your humour. To me, it reads as being bitter and a yearning for the "goold old days".

But, anyway, that's not important. Carry on.

I think the smiley face at the end was a clue.

Bitter, now I do miss a good pint. Back in the good old days when Best Bitter in Manchester was 40cents. Only trouble was did'nt have 40 cents! Now look for the clue to humour :-) get it! have a nice one yourself.

[NorthPacific]

Up here in Man's country we have budgie problems. Bleeding great big black ones with white heads and yellow beaks. What ever you stick on your mast head get's sat on! Bent broken and not replaced. So Windex is a safer bet than a scare meter! At least the windex can be bent back into shape.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Up here in Man's country we have budgie problems. Bleeding great big black ones with white heads and yellow beaks. What ever you stick on your mast head get's sat on! Bent broken and not replaced. So Windex is a safer bet than a scare meter! At least the windex can be bent back into shape.

I would love to see them try an ultrasonic Maretron wind sensor. They might invent a new dance

[NorthPacific]

They fight back boy! When Fish Eagles dump! they dump and it stinks! Ultrasonic MAretron if that has electrical current Iam in! :-)

Looks wonderful, but I bet not inexpensive? Mind you for a bit of bent wire Windex are not cheap.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Make sure you can light it at night !

Dave

Ekh, I thought about that, but no way I'm pulling yet another cable up my 22 meter mast. I have pulled 11 cables so far! Two of them fat, stiff RG213U, and two more duct-grade Cat 5.

It will be illuminated pretty well by the white sector of my tricolor, I think.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Lol what nonsense , look at The challenge yachts SRC , Steer from the coaming me arse-nal!!

Dave

You're kidding, right? Plenty of racers steer from the coaming. Look at the giant wheels on some of those boats -- one reason is for mechanical advantage, but the other is to the helmsperson can get to one side in order to watch the sails and wind. Many other race-boats (the ones with the wide sterns) have two wheels. They do this so the person at the helm can sit outboard.

If you're just being sarcastic, well never mind...

Windex? Mines on the masthead and I use it a lot, especially when sailing with the spinnaker. Some of my crew watch it constantly, and I should glance up there more often but my neck gets stiff. My B&G wind instrument are fairly good, and I get pretty tuned in to the feel of the wind and motion of the boat, so I do OK, but I do regularly take a peek at the windex to re-calibrate my gut-feel.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Windex is as fundamental as a compass. Don't leave home without it.

Absolutely true statement for me.... There have been occasions where I have needed the less experienced on the helm keeping the boat into the wind... Playing the wind instruments for them can be like watching a new sailor try and keep a course by the famous "compass trance"....

"Keep that arrow pointed at the bow" works every time....

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by sailr69

thanks for saying you are no expert, we would never had guess

+1........

[Pete7]

DH, sounds like you're running out of time. Bin it and sail for season without it, then decide. You have the ST60s to judge the wind by.

Pete

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Bash

I find it easier to compute jibe angles using the windex than using the compass or any electronic wind device. The nice thing is that on an aft-cockpit boat, the windex is squarely within the helm's gaze as he watches to see when the main is sailing by the lee during a jibe.

I'd probably be less inclined to rely upon a windex in a center cockpit boat, since the wheel is so freaking close to the mast. (One more good reason in favor of aft cockpits!) Allow me to point out, however, that on a center cockpit boat, such as the HMS Dockhead, it would be all the more important to mount the compass to the rear of the mast, rather than at its side. This will be true especially of the helm is steered from the coaming--racer style--rather than from directly behind the wheel--beginner style.

No, Beginner style would be not letting the autopilot steer. Steering from the coaming would be "hey, I want to look like those guys in the magazines style"!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

DH, sounds like you're running out of time. Bin it and sail for season without it, then decide. You have the ST60s to judge the wind by.

Pete

Already sorted.

The wizards at Seatek made me a lovely mast truck extension out of stainless, with a stiffening ridge welded in. I drilled holes for mounting it on the drill press that other sailors often tease me for keeping on board, and bolted it on this morning.

The windex is already fitted and looks great! It's about twice the size of the old one (it's a Swedish Windex XL), and now stands well aft of the mast truck, so should be more visible!

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I can't believe I did this, but I actually allowed myself to be swayed by the results of the the poll.

So I've ordered an alu plate with a welded-on rib for stiffening, which will stick out past the end of the masthead truck. I'll mount the Windex on the end of it.

Thank god Camaron.

I cant believe you were even considering not having a masthead windex!!!

It is so instinctual to me to check my wind perception by glancing up at the windex that I was on a RIB this last weekend as we were towing our 1/4 tonner out to the course with our Sail Maker looking at the new sails that twice I glanced up instinctively to check the non existent windex for the RIB we were on. Our sail maker caught me doing it the second time and called me on it and started laughing - claimed he couldnt shake the habit as well and even caught himself doing it on land sometimes...

It is an important effective tool for those that wish the information it provides, it cant be entirely duplicated utilizing electronic methods. There is so much that the simple device tells you in a mili-second glance.

We too had space issues and had a piece of aluminimum rod stock bent in an S curve with reinforcing gussets that took the windex aft of the mast at the head.

It is important to keep it inline as if it is off center the upwash from the tip vortex off the jib and main give you a less accurate reading on opposite tacks.