Want To Buy: autohelm or hydrovane self steering windvane

[davidj7]

these two are the primary ones i'm looking at, but i'd be willing to consider any other brand that uses an auxiliary rudder system (my boat has hydraulic steering). message me back and we can get the ball rolling.
best,
DJ

[koolfrog]

I am located in San Diego and have a SAILOMAT 3040 for sale.

koolfrog@rocketmail.com

[CarinaPDX]

Personally I think the Fleming (FLEMING - There and back for 40 years) and Windpilot (WINDPILOT: selfsteering under sail) are the best around these days. Both offer very similar, modern designs built to high standards, and have models that incorporate their own rudders. You can download Peter's excellent book "Selfsteering under Sail" from his Windpilot web site - it is well worth reading. I especially like that the Flemings are made from stainless steel. Hard choice...

BTW I have a different wind vane and have no connection to these two companies. I just like their designs a lot.

Greg

[Captmorpheus]

I'd also call Scanmar for advice. I was looking at a good as new used unit for an unbelievable price and was about to lay out the cash but something seemed off and so suggested to myself that I call the mfg. Well, I told myself what a good idea and so call I did. Fortunately for me, the owner picked up the phone late in the day and was very friendly and informative. He cautioned me that in no way could the unit I was considering be properly installed on my boat and give good performance. You will get some good advice here but unless you hear from someone with your boat and the vane's you are considering you may not get all the facts.

By the way, I read somewhere that the Monitor can be equipped with a larger paddle that can act as aux rudder and can be fit on hydraulic steered boats with some modifications to the steering. Just a thought. I still don't have a vane but will shortly. Good luck.

Joe

[CarinaPDX]

I would caution about buying used vanes made with polished stainless tubing, particularly if there are welds. While the outside may look good, the tubes may be rusted inside and fail under load. I know someone who had this experience with a very popular brand, and it turned out that the tubing was so far gone that it couldn't be repaired with welding. So check carefully the interior surfaces if you go that way.

Agreed that getting the right match for the boat is a big part of the problem. This is mostly an issue of getting a matching mount, but there is a bit more to it than that. For instance, if the boat has a balanced rudder then the steering forces will be low so most vanes should do fine; for those of us with unbalanced transom-hung rudders a more powerful vane will be needed. This means one with a pendulum or trim tab that uses water force to amplify the wind force to steer the vessel. Buying a vane with an integral rudder (in addition to pendulum/trim tab) bypasses a lot of potential issues as it is designed to work independently of the boat's steering. The models with auxiliary rudders that are directly driven by the wind will not be as powerful, but can be adequate for boats that can be steered easily.

Just about any vane will steer just about any boat in the 30'-40' range in moderate conditions on the wind or wind abeam - it is at the margins that the designs differ (for instance, on a run in light winds). Also, there are big differences in the ease of course setting or deploying/recovering the pendulum. Lots to think of...

[zeehag]

i do not have a sailing vane for boat--i DO have a hydraulic autopilot which rocks. i willnot change nor add anything to it-it sips electricity , as it is a hydraulic system with electrical assist...perfect for my boat, which is a big bury full keeled ketch rigged cruiser.

[CarinaPDX]

Zeehag-

I have to agree. Before ever considering a wind vane I would make sure I had a reliable and powerful autopilot - which means one that works below deck, either with the hydraulic system or directly to the quadrant. Personally I am stuck with a tiller style autopilot; for most of my cruising I had 3 separate pilots and usually ended the sailing season with just one working. The wind vane is great on long passages but the autopilot is indispensable for coastal work. Make sure you have a good one. Then get the wind vane...

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

With hydraulic steering, look at Scanmar's Saye's Rig, simple, easy to install, flawless working.

[bobconnie]

Had an Aries on our Colvin 42, for over 20 years, also a auto pilot. about the only time we used the pilot was coastal cruiseing, anytime we were more then 25 miles offshore we used the vane! wonderful tool for long cruises with just a couple aboard ! Hope we are able to find a boat with one on it but if not it will be one of our first Extra to buy! Just our 2 cents

[bazzer]

I looked at just about all the current windvanes at a recent show, I must say that none of them looked bad, in fact all of them are excellent, it's just some are more suitable to some boat and others.....
I have both a older Aries 4 windvane and a Raymarine AP with a very old but solid tiller drive unit. I would advice having both if your budget can afford it. It is common to use a small tiller AP mechanically connect to the vane to act a a powerful AP.


Baz