Considering a windvane kit

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by foojin

Yes, Hydrovane is expensive. This week they quoted me a boat show price in US dollars even though we are neighbours in Canada. After conversion, the vane delivered is almost CAD$8,000 before installation.

My wife did a rough calc, figures we'd be pushing up against $10,000 when all was said and done.

But I think it is a good product. Expect they are not cheap to build and market.

Might try Fleming (flemingselfsteer.com) and WindPilot (windpilot.com) for an Auxiliary rudder vane. Don't know if they'd be cheaper but are alternatives to the Hydrovane. Have a WindPilot Pacific Plus and it's done an excellent job of steering my boat in the worst conditions for vane steering, DDW. Vane will steer the boat if there is enough wind to deflect the windvane or if the boat will sail at all with a tiller pilot for steering input.

Wonder where your additional $2,000 costs are coming from?? Installed the WindPilot Pacific Plus on my boat in a downpour, wearing full set of 'foulies', by myself in a little over an hour. Basically it's just positioning the vane, drilling for the mounting bolts and bolting it up. Even if I had to buy all the tools, drill motor, drills, socket set, Lanocote, backing plates, and caulk wouldn't add up to $300. Both the WindPilot and the Hydrovane are simple bolt on installations for a a flat transom boat. If you have a Canoe Stern or other difficult installation, that could make it more expensive to install but still not $2,000 cost.

If you want to go with a Pendulum Servo Vane like a Monitor/Aries/Sailomat, etc., they come up on the used market for under $2,000. You have to figure out where the steering control lines to the wheel/tiller are going to run and the cost of a wheel adapter if needed but installation costs should still be way less than your estimate.

[zstine]

I have designed my own servo-pendulum rudder system. It was originally going to have the wind vane, but due to time constraints I have simplified it to work with a tiller pilot and I can add the vane at a later date. My design is almost all off-the shelf stuff and is going to cost about $800 with the $360 tiller pilot included. It does require some SS welding, which I can do myself, but I don't know the going rate to pay someone... I can't imagine the welding being more than a few hundred as it is pretty limited. If you are savy and buy things used, for example, I'm using an Aluminum dagger board out of a dinghy for the rudder, which was free to me. And I've specifically designed around 'spare' parts I have on hand to keep cost down. I hope to have it ready by June for a passage... We'll see how it goes. I will discuss the design in detail over PM if you want.

[jewt]

I don't know where you are located but I am in NC ,on the Neuse River about half way between Beaufort and New Bern. I have a Monitor, with the wheel adaptor, I wish to sell cheap. It is an '83 model but worked on my 41' Morgan K/CB for 10 years back and forth to the Bahamas. I took it off 2 years ago when we started doing the ICW more than the direct route from Beaufort to the Whale.

I am asking $500.00 US but it does need a new rudder and a good polish.

My e-mail address is newtoncollyar@gmail.com if anyone interested.

jewt
S/V Bifrost

[DavePR]

Here's an interesting non-vane solution based on bungee cord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkDsDWl8zQ

I doubt it will work on my heavier boat, but I hope to try it some day.

[double u]

Originally Posted by zstine

I have designed my own servo-pendulum rudder system. It was originally going to have the wind vane, but due to time constraints I have simplified it to work with a tiller pilot and I can add the vane at a later date. My design is almost all off-the shelf stuff and is going to cost about $800 with the $360 tiller pilot included. It does require some SS welding, which I can do myself, but I don't know the going rate to pay someone... I can't imagine the welding being more than a few hundred as it is pretty limited. If you are savy and buy things used, for example, I'm using an Aluminum dagger board out of a dinghy for the rudder, which was free to me. And I've specifically designed around 'spare' parts I have on hand to keep cost down. I hope to have it ready by June for a passage... We'll see how it goes. I will discuss the design in detail over PM if you want.

u might want to post some pics?

[Orion Jim]

I appreciate the fact that there are other successful designs on the market but I feel every penny I spent on my Monitor windvane was well spent. I always singlehand offshore and it has performed flawlessly for several thousand offshore miles from catspaws to 50+ knots.
If you currently own a Monitor they offer a generous trade-in value towards a new unit. At least they did when I purchased mine. (My old unit was shot. I had bought it used and abused and I abused it myself.)

This is my monitor quietly going on about its business in snotty weather a couple hundred miles northwest of Bermuda.

[foojin]

Originally Posted by Orion Jim

I appreciate the fact that there are other successful designs on the market but I feel every penny I spent on my Monitor windvane was well spent.

We also loved our Monitor. It came with our last boat which we bought in Thailand and took three years to sail home.

And like you say, if it had been an Aries or Hydrovane or Fleming we would have loved it all the same.