Monitor windvane adjustment question

[davil]

Hi
Just finished mounting it and looking at the adjustment of the two lines coming from the wheel adapter.
Manual describes using the "Monitor knot etc)
question,once the lines are adjusted and everything is centered,is that a job to be done often,only when sea conditions change?lines stretch?
trying to understand the frequency and factors
thank you.

[Pegu Club]

We installed our monitor this past August, we tied an eye knot in the end of each line coming of the wheel drum, and used a half hitch on each line coming from the vane onto the eye knots, easy to readjust to tweak the tension. Hope that helps, so far so good, presently in the Bahamas.

Fair winds,

[davil]

thank you Pegu Club
once done do you need to re adjust often?my prior experience was 20 years ago using a Fleming on tiller,do not remember much but I think was quite simple,just set the lines more or less centered and set them loose when steering manually ?
will this apply same to monitor?
Gather the setting should be close enough but close is good enough?
Any tip learned from yourexperiencee,..
thank you for your taking the time.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by davil

Hi
Just finished mounting it and looking at the adjustment of the two lines coming from the wheel adapter.
Manual describes using the "Monitor knot etc)
question,once the lines are adjusted and everything is centered,is that a job to be done often,only when sea conditions change?lines stretch?
trying to understand the frequency and factors
thank you.

Use the control lines which came with your Monitor. They are ultra low stretch and have a slippery and dense surface finish. Perfect for the application. Not the only solution but a very good one. The use of the Monitor knot is an excellent solution also. No hardware, no cost, easily adjusted. I have found that I only make one or two initial adjustments when using the Monitor exclusively for my passages each season. I singlehand for a few thousand miles every year and the Monitor is a better helmsman than I am....24 hours a day....day after day....in 5 knot winds....and in a full gale in the Gulf Stream

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Can anyone post a pic or link to the Monitor knot?

[Ramona]

Originally Posted by davil

Hi
Just finished mounting it and looking at the adjustment of the two lines coming from the wheel adapter.
Manual describes using the "Monitor knot etc)
question,once the lines are adjusted and everything is centered,is that a job to be done often,only when sea conditions change?lines stretch?
trying to understand the frequency and factors
thank you.

I have a homemade stainless steel windvane that is loosely based on a monitor and use a tiller. On the tiller I have two cam cleats for adjusting the lines from the windvane. The two lines do have to be adjusted while sailing on most boats as the wind increases and the boat develops more weatherhelm. When engaging the windvane you will have the sails set and steering the course required and you will be allowing for the weatherhelm at that wind strength. The monitor knot will be doing the same job as my two cam cleats. I can not find what this particular knot is on Google picture search but I'm sure it's just for adjusting the length of these lines. YouTube videos on Monitor windvanes or other windvanes that operate on the same principals may help.

[davil]

Originally Posted by Smokeys Kitchen

Can anyone post a pic or link to the Monitor knot?

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d14ba...e6925dbed0.pdf

[davil]

[QUOTE=Ramona;2844742The monitor knot will be doing the same job as my two cam cleats. I can not find what this particular knot is on Google picture search but I'm sure it's just for adjusting the length of these lines. YouTube videos on Monitor windvanes or other windvanes that operate on the same principals may help.[/QUOTE]
==========================================
the monitor knot is ok however find it a little more difficult to adjust than the cleats on a tiller, that have used in a different boat with tiller there is video made that uses a nylon webbing and snap adjustable clips and seems easier to adjust,my original question was about how often need to adjust and it has been answer,will play with their knot and might just also try the nylon webbing,either way should not be a biggie
thank you

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Smokeys Kitchen

Can anyone post a pic or link to the Monitor knot?

It’s in the Monitor Manual.
https://www.scanmarinternational.com...nitor-windvane

[Pegu Club]

Originally Posted by davil

thank you Pegu Club
once done do you need to re adjust often?my prior experience was 20 years ago using a Fleming on tiller,do not remember much but I think was quite simple,just set the lines more or less centered and set them loose when steering manually ?
will this apply same to monitor?
Gather the setting should be close enough but close is good enough?
Any tip learned from yourexperiencee,..
thank you for your taking the time.

We adjusted the tension at the initial set up, then once more to give the lines a little more tension, it has been fine since then. Yes we have found that our guess at correct tension has worked very well.
In fact we sailed today from Rock Sound in Eleuthera to Compass Key in the Exumas, one long beam reach, and as you would expect, the Monitor operated great in choppy seas, dropped anchor forty minutes ago.

Fair winds,

[boatman1]

My recollection is twice to get rid of stretch. But I redo the knots with some regularity, pulling a skoshie bit of the excess that you've got at the wheel down through the pendulum.
If you're still on the hard you may wish to closely inspect where the control line exits the lower tubes through the delrin sheavs. I had a S.S. shaving there that caused a frustrating experience offshore, with the control line getting chaffed/cut after only a few hours. I removed the sheaves and dressed the inside of the tube with a rattail file, but that was at a later date upon hauling.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Originally Posted by Orion Jim

It’s in the Monitor Manual.
https://www.scanmarinternational.com...nitor-windvane

Thanks Orion Jim. Did not get the manual w/ my boat and had just gotten instruction from existing users at the marina.

[AiniA]

We sailed many thousands of miles with our Monitor and it was a much-loved, essential piece of kit. We found the line supplied with the unit to be slow stretch but fairly stiff and a bit slippery. The result was that the knot would slip a bit and we would have to make some adjustments. We did a lot of sailing with winds in the 25 to 40 knot range and the knots would slip a little and require adjustment. Also you can tie the knot too tight which adds to friction.