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Old 15-03-2021, 07:29   #16
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Re: Wind vane steering

When I sail during the day with electric autopilot, my solar which charges my two 12 volt batteries usually does not drop out of Float as my autopilot uses very little power.
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Old 15-03-2021, 10:50   #17
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Re: Wind vane steering

Whether the charge balance is sufficient to just go with an electric autopilot will depend on the individual boat, battery capacity, solar or wind generator, weather (for solar / wind generator), ...

On our boat, no way would we have been able to sail through the night with the electric tiller pilot on all the time - navigation lights (still old ones with bulbs), VHF and instruments including plotter was all the battery would handle during a night, with the voltage below 12 V in the morning. Of course, you can always add more batteries which means more weight ...

Wind steering - will work, even if your battery is dead. And in addition, it is pretty quiet.


For us, having the electric tillerpilot for motoring and the wind vane for sailing was best of both worlds.
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Old 15-03-2021, 14:05   #18
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Re: Wind vane steering

Agree that both vane and autopilot have important place on board. Never seen an auto pilot that can respond to dead down wind or close to DDW. it is interesting how often our course is either DDW or wind on the nose. Wind vane response is immediate no lag.
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Old 16-03-2021, 01:18   #19
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Re: Wind vane steering

Bought the wind vane self steering and then went out and found to put it on on my newest boat. If the boat is sailing the vane is steering the boat. Leaves me free to work the boat not be tied to the wheel/tiller. Sailed many thousands of miles with wind vane only before getting an autopilot. Autopilots work okay under power but haven't had one that will work sailing or recharge the batteries that it's draining under sail.

I've bought the vanes used for my last two boats. WindPilot Pacific Plus for the Pearson 35 and Wind Pilot Pacific light for the S28. Got the WP light for half a boat unit and the WPPP for two boat units. Very affordable and can sell them for at least what I paid for them separately if I ever decided to get rid of either boat. Haunting Craig's List in major sailing areas or eBay will turn up a vane in a fairly short period of time. Monitors are the most common but others turn up as well.

If you don't already know, Yves Gelinas, builder of the Cap Horn Vane, sailed an Alberg 30 around the world using the prototype of the Cape Horn Vane. He made a video of the trip which he sells e on DVD and well worth buying.
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