Repeat after me...

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

sailorboy1,

Technically, you're correct: one can use simple yarn telltales pay attention to how the breeze is on the back of your head, which ear has more, etc..

Ann

Ah... the ears... thats why wimmin with long hair can't steer downhill... nor can blokes wearing hats and hoods and stuff...

[ullar]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

On your boat is there a junction box near the base of the mast to allow disconnection when unstepping the mast? That is a common failure point IME.

Jim

Another good point. To be honest, haven't over checked that yet. The junction is good quality screw terminal with heat shrink ring crimp terminals. And, that's installed by myself. Kind of trust it.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by StuM

90% of problems with wind instruments are in the wiring, not the sensor. Suggest you check that thoroughly first.

100% of the problems I have had with electronic wind instruments have been when the mast head instruments have been blown away...

100% of my windex problems have been when rather large birds have savaged them... 'Johnny Rooks' in the Falklands and 'Atacama ***** Hawks' in the Atacama... both Caracaras btw....

But yes... check the simple stuff first... however my in mast wiring is same same 20 years ago.

[landlockedsquid]

So when you say "expensive" what exactly does that mean?

[Mike OReilly]

Not sure if this is helpful, but I had a dysfunctional old Tacktick windy. Directional sensor went. Raymarine now owns Tacktick, so after a back and forth with their repair unit they took it back and "repaired" it. Basically, they sent us a new (or probably reconditioned) unit for 1/3rd the price of a new one.

[goat]

Originally Posted by Mr Mac

Boating is fun. Boating is fun...

Boating can get expensive, fast! I needed these and it took some time to locate them and they cost a lot more than I think they should have. None-the-less, I needed them!

I'm sure you could have cobbled something together with some measuring spoons and zip ties for wind speed. Maybe a hockey stick blade for direction. Kids now-a-days.

[Jd1]

Have you had any major repair on the boat recently? It took me three months to find that some high priced idiot managed to pinch my wind instrument wiring badly enough to cause an intermittent connection. As it turned out, every time I was sailing in heavy wind and healing too much in one direction it decided to go out and stay out until a few days later when it decided to magically start working again. The same bunch of idiots mounted the flux gate compass backward and promised that they checked everything before they declared the boat 'fixed'. The repair was a major structural repair). They also billed the insurance company (or me if I had been paying) for a trip (or possibly two) up the mast to rule out the sensor being faulty. I eventually gave up calling them and hunted down the problem myself.
I found it bordering on larceny when they billed out the time they took for trying to find the problem that they created! Maybe it's just me and I don't understand how yards work .....
This was a well known place in Sidney BC with a good reputation and rates to match, not some small outfit.

[Mr Mac]

Well, this certainly went a different direction than I had envisioned!

For the record, we just bought this boat and the ST60 system was already on-board and the feather was broken off of the vane. We have no Windex installed, and, even if we did, there is no sight window in the bimini to see it through.

Also, for the record, when we took the boat out for the very first time (day we took possession), my wife did tie a couple of pieces of yarn to the shrouds so we could see the wind direction and sail accordingly, though I was doing okay just by watching the sails themselves and could feel more wind on one ear than the other.

The way I see it, if the system is there, why not make it work? The feather on the vane is the only thing broken as the wind speed can be seen and, if it is strong enough like on Monday, the pointer of the broken vane moves enough to know that the gauge is functional and that the broken feather is my only real issue.

As for the cups, when I found the vane, they just happened to be with it and, since Raymarine/Flir no longer makes the ST60 or the parts to repair, when you find it, sometimes you just have to spend the money to keeps things working. Being an old aircraft mechanic, I like it when things work!

As for expensive, the message was simple...the lengths we go to in order to enjoy sailing. At times it stings, but when the sails are full, the world is right.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.