Whats the best windvane?

[Mapoftassie]

Hi!
I just wanted to ask if anyone could help suggest a wind vane to suit an Adams 40' Steel (15 Tonnes) slightly extended stern with davits and dingy attached. I'm have read that if your going on extended voyages to fit one, as Autopilots tend to fail when you need them most? Any advice appreciated.

Kind Regards
Mapoftassie

[SVTatia]

My 3 choices are
Cape Horn
Wind Pilot
Hydrovane

In that order. But the best really depends...

You'd need to choose between the davits or windvane. The two do not get along very well.

[Mapoftassie]

Hi !
Thanks SV Tatiana. I will have a look at the options provided ! Much appreciated!
Merry Xmas

[AiniA]

I agree that your choice is vane or davits. I have only seen one vane with davits and it looked like a homemade one with the vane at the top of a very long shaft above the davits. When we went off sailing we decided to make do with an air floor dinghy so we could have a Monitor vane. For us, this worked out brilliantly in almost 40k nm.

Tatia mentions Cape Horn and Wind Pilot on one hand and Hydrovane on the other. The technology is very different between the two. The first thing you need to decide is which type of vane you want and then within the category which is the best vane. I think there are a lot more choices in the servo-pendulum category.

[Tillsbury]

Agreed. The Hydrovane can act as an emergency rudder. That, to me, makes all the difference in the world.

[AiniA]

Monitor make an emergency rudder add-on. We didn't have it so can't comment on its effectiveness. Our boat was marginal in displacement for a Hydrovane (40k pounds when loaded). The Hydrovane people said they thought it would work with our boat. That wasn't n good enough. Hydrovane is also a harder install since you are installing a rudder so the loads are much heavier.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by AiniA

...Tatia mentions Cape Horn and Wind Pilot on one hand and Hydrovane on the other. The technology is very different between the two. The first thing you need to decide is which type of vane you want and then within the category which is the best vane. I think there are a lot more choices in the servo-pendulum category.

Correct, and this is what I meant by "depends..."
All mechanisms have been proved and work well, and the research leading to the final choice should be centered on the type of boat and on how it will accommodate the windvane. And there will always be a compromise.

I sailed over 30K miles with a unit that was the best ever made (correct statement but highly biased), but unfortunately Ratcliffe owner's retired and closed the business (near Boston, MA).

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Agreed. The Hydrovane can act as an emergency rudder. That, to me, makes all the difference in the world.

Yes, the emergency rudder is available for almost double the cost of the regular unit.

I would consider the Monitor if I had a larger boat.

[Jim Cate]

Most folks who have both a wind vane and an auto pilot tend to use the a/p inshore and the vane on offshore passages. Following this credo means that you could keep the davits and use them when not offshore, relying upon the a/p. When going offshore, deck the dinghy and mount the vane.

Having said that, when we had both we used the wind vane nearly all the time, including coastal or even day sails... but that isn't what I observe these days.

Finally, I don't like davits and wouldn't have them on my boat (and they would be easy to add to our solar arch). Despite their unquestioned convenience, I think when a dinghy is hoisted in them they are unseaworthy, ugly and performance robbing.

Many others disagree...

Jim

[Mapoftassie]

Hi, Thanks Jim and Ann
Sound advice! I will see how I can set it up to remove the davits and purchase a wind vane. ...Much appreciated.
Merry Xmas
Mapoftassie

[Olly75]

I have davits with solar on top and a hydro vane which works absolutely perfectly. It's the model with an extra long shaft so the vane is raised up.
If you talk to Will at hydrovane and give him all the measurements from the waterline upwards he can work out which shaft you need to make it work.

[Mapoftassie]

Hi Olly

Thanks for that! I am thinking of a Hydrovane they seem less complicated (less Fiddly) and I like the idea of emergency steering! Will check them out cheers!

Kind Regards
Mapoftassie

[Michael Cobbe]

Originally Posted by Mapoftassie

Hi!
I just wanted to ask if anyone could help suggest a wind vane to suit an Adams 40' Steel (15 Tonnes) slightly extended stern with davits and dingy attached. I'm have read that if your going on extended voyages to fit one, as Autopilots tend to fail when you need them most? Any advice appreciated.

Kind Regards
Mapoftassie

Long distance sailing the windvane I saw most was a Hydrovane and we had one. It can be offset but as you have davits I doubt you can fit one

[Mapoftassie]

Hi Michael!

Thanks for your input I will look into it asap.

Kind Rg
Mapoftassie

[SaltyMetals]

I am not sure i agree w Jim but i have only sailed about 30,000 nm and most of that UK, E. Atlantic and Med. I hv a Rutland 400 made by Marlec UK which i mounted on a SS pole supported by rubber cushioned brackets welded to my transom arch. Wonderful solution. I have found that 70-90% of the energy is actually supplied by my solar panels (3 x 50W) but of course the windgen will continue through the night when the solar will have stopped. My suggestion would be that if you have the space you should optimise yr solar. Add windgen if you like but it seems expensive compared to the return in energy generation but it is always nice to have the alternative.
Andrew

[oceanshoretiga]

I have long had an Aries, the original model which I purchased in about 1982l. Aries is one of the original and still among the best vanes systems for accurate steering (except light down wind) and robustness.

My Aries is on a 13ton steel Herreshoff and I love it.

Aries and parts are now made in the Netherlands.

I understand the the next Golden Globe Race will require one of three windvane alternative. Aries is one of those but, off the top of my head, not sure what the other two are to be (I THINK Hydrovane and Windpilot). Cape Horn is hard to fit when a transome rudder and would require some serious work on a steel.

One of my favourite pastimes at sea is to lounge in the cockpit, under cover, in heavy weather and watch the Aries steering. That said, any windvane will give you that sense of pure motion.,

cheers, Jim