Center cockpit needs wind vane

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by witzgall

The "Virtual" wind vane (AP with wind mode) can steer in very light winds, something a wind vane cannot do.

Chris

I managed to get my fleming windvane to steer the boat anytime she had steerage way. Bill Belchers book has some excellant and simple plans for a homemade windvane.

Getting the vane to fit under the mizzen boom is a minor issue, you may need to fold it down to tack or gube if the mizzen is set.

[michaelratinter]

I have not finished installing my Hydrovane but I am very impressed with the quality of the components.

[Seaquel]

We used a Monitor with an emergency rudder to steer our Dickerson 37 center cockpit ketch on 2 transatlantic crossings. It worked beautifully even though the run of line from stern to wheel was 25'. It will s very powerful. It is now for sale at a local consignment store if you are interested.

[AiniA]

We use a Monitor to steer our Bristol 45.5 centre cockpit. It works great in any condition and steered much more than 95% of the time on our circumnavigation. There is a learning curve to get it to work - mainly about getting the sail balance dead on.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Can it do so when the batteries are dead?

Jim

Windvanes and Autohelms are for opposite ends of the weather spectrum: Windvanes struggle to do their job on sunny, light-winds, flat seas days, whereas Autohelms struggle to cope in 30 knots, big seas and usually pouring rain; if I have to take over and hand helm, I'd want it to be on the flat-day!

For the OP: We have a Monitor so are biased in favour of servo-pendulum vanes generally and the Monitor in particular; for me they provide more 'steerage' than Hydrovanes and the like, particularly when the wind turns light though that problem seems more pronounced on larger/heavier yachts than yours or ours. That said, I don't know your boat, but 'centre cockpit' suggests a need for longer & more complex routing of the control lines than ours needs, so that may tip the balance in favour of the Hydrovane?

They all work and whilst some seem to do so better than others, to a degree it's the size, keel configuation, etc. of the boat they're fitted to rather than the wind-vane itself that makes a lot of those differences.

[Keysbuoyboy]

Thanks for your time and informed recommendations. I’m currently in negotiations for a second hand sailomat pacific. I’m concerned about my ketch rig hang off the transom about 18” and also running lines to the center cockpit wheel. Any more ideas for these issues would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by Keysbuoyboy

Thanks for your time and informed recommendations. I’m currently in negotiations for a second hand sailomat pacific. I’m concerned about my ketch rig hang off the transom about 18” and also running lines to the center cockpit wheel. Any more ideas for these issues would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

As suggested previously, if the mizzen is set you will need to flip the blade down when moving the mizzen from one side of the other. Try not to do an accidental gybe and a preventer is a bad thing to avoid taking out you windvane.


The blocks bringing the leads forward to the wheel will become evident when you set it up. Try to keep it simple/less drag.

[michaelratinter]

Three years after my previous post (#17) I have been living wit my Hydrovane on my center cockpit ketch. I love it.

Not only does it work close hauled it also works downwind. I used it on the Baja HaHa in 2019, then north to La Paz and then bashing back to Bodega Bay, CA. I like having a backup rudder. It came in handy when my hydraulic main steering failed.

Just my $0.02

[NevilleCat]

Originally Posted by Keysbuoyboy

Thanks for your time and informed recommendations. I’m currently in negotiations for a second hand sailomat pacific. I’m concerned about my ketch rig hang off the transom about 18” and also running lines to the center cockpit wheel. Any more ideas for these issues would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

That is why the Auxiliary Rudder style (Hydrovane) was suggested; it doesn't control your rudder so no lines back to cockpit.
And as others have suggested you can hook a small tiller pilot to the (any style) vane directly when there is no breeze and it will use very low power as it is not driving your main rudder.