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19-03-2019, 18:14
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2017
Boat: 1980 freedom 33 and 2005 hunter 41
Posts: 39
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wind vane sender unit in bow?
Birds keep trashing the sender unit in top of mast, i was thinking if any one have installed a wireless unit in the bow ?
so each time i can take it off when not in use.
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19-03-2019, 18:29
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#2
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Do… or do not

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 13,742
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
yes, why not! I'm putting it up the stern arch because I don't care a little error from the sails ahead of it. If it turns out to bother me at all, I'll move it to the bow as well
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19-03-2019, 18:52
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,007
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
That “little bit” of error iat the stern is not “little”, by a long shot.
If you are close hauled, by the time the apparent wind has been twisted by the jib, and the mainsail it is 30 to 40 degrees different from the “right” reading. Not only that, but the error will be very variable depending on the speed and sailing angle.
You’re going to be one of those people reporting that they can sail at a AWA of 15 degrees.
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19-03-2019, 22:39
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#4
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Do… or do not

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 13,742
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Quote:
Originally Posted by billknny
That “little bit” of error iat the stern is not “little”, by a long shot.
If you are close hauled, by the time the apparent wind has been twisted by the jib, and the mainsail it is 30 to 40 degrees different from the “right” reading. Not only that, but the error will be very variable depending on the speed and sailing angle.
You’re going to be one of those people reporting that they can sail at a AWA of 15 degrees.
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No, I will be one of those people who uses tell tales to trim the sails and knows our ketch doesn't like less than 35 deg apparent  In my opinion, the value of a wind direction instrument is over-rated but it is autopilot control that may change my mind.
p.s. I have had a sensor between main and mizzen sail and I never saw an error larger than 15 deg. Your 30-40 deg seems to be an assumption, not factual?!
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20-03-2019, 08:49
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Scotland
Boat: 42ft Moody Ketch
Posts: 643
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Must admit a wind direction , speed is really not that important in the long term , if you cannot tell were the wind is coming from on a compass rose scale then 
You also with experience can tell most wind conditions, in regards to your own sails, sea state and other tell tale signs, a lot of the time the wind speed instrument seems to be used for people to come on forums and let us know the speed it shows during a storm 
As for mounting at the bow ,
A. this will not give you as accurate reading as the top of the Mast (therefore why do you want one)
B. When Green Water comes over the bow I suspect the windvane might take a swim.
Life is a compromise
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20-03-2019, 10:19
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Boston's North Shore
Boat: Pearson 10M
Posts: 837
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
I would look for a way to protect the masthead unit from the birds
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20-03-2019, 10:36
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: Gemini 3200
Posts: 949
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
A wind vane at the bow will be useless for steering downwind. A vane at the stern will have a clear view into the wind for any angle you can sail.
Fabbian
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20-03-2019, 10:55
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Boston's North Shore
Boat: Pearson 10M
Posts: 837
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fgd3
A wind vane at the bow will be useless for steering downwind. A vane at the stern will have a clear view into the wind for any angle you can sail.
Fabbian
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It may have a clear 'view', but the wind direction it sees will be distorted by the wind coming off the main sail.
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20-03-2019, 11:34
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2017
Boat: 1980 freedom 33 and 2005 hunter 41
Posts: 39
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
i only use the wind vane going upwind, and mostly because a can set the autopilot set to it. dead downwind or so i think is not so useful as the telltailes coming off the main.
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20-03-2019, 11:50
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Whitby, On
Boat: Alberg 37
Posts: 35
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Mechanical wind vane self steering (e.g. Monitor, Cape Horn, etc.) all steer by sensing the wind at the stern. It works well on all points of sail. You set the boat up to sail on the course you want with the wind you have, then set the wind vane to maintain the course on that apparent wind at the location of the vane. Using an electronic sensor mounted in the same location should allow the autopilot to do the same.
Roger
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20-03-2019, 11:55
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2017
Boat: 1980 freedom 33 and 2005 hunter 41
Posts: 39
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerD
Mechanical wind vane self steering (e.g. Monitor, Cape Horn, etc.) all steer by sensing the wind at the stern. It works well on all points of sail. You set the boat up to sail on the course you want with the wind you have, then set the wind vane to maintain the course on that apparent wind at the location of the vane. Using an electronic sensor mounted in the same location should allow the autopilot to do the same.
Roger
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very true
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20-03-2019, 17:58
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 104
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
I bought a wind indicator with a spike on top. No problems since. However don't know if this is available for transducers. It should be . Birds are one of the main reasons I gave up on wind data at the helm. I hardly miss it at all. That is what the Beaufort scale is for
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22-03-2019, 05:48
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#13
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Do… or do not

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 13,742
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Re: wind vane sender unit in bow?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerD
Mechanical wind vane self steering (e.g. Monitor, Cape Horn, etc.) all steer by sensing the wind at the stern. It works well on all points of sail. You set the boat up to sail on the course you want with the wind you have, then set the wind vane to maintain the course on that apparent wind at the location of the vane. Using an electronic sensor mounted in the same location should allow the autopilot to do the same.
Roger
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I was about to post this to the naysayers but you were way ahead of me  Mechanical windvane steering has proven wind sensing at the stern.
Also, to those denouncing instruments at the bow: you do know that racers do exactly that right? You think they choose the position because it is especially bad for their results?
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