Would you get rid of a self steering wind vane if you had one?

[moseriw]

Sure, send it to me :-)

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

Hang on a sec, I just realized I don't think I've seen a single youtube sailor with a wind vane! Case closed.

Oops, case open again!
Guess you missed this single handed sailor of 70+ years use one to go to Hawaii and return.
Check it out.
https://youtu.be/28TAdDu5L6U
Cheers,
SV Cloud Duster

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by moseriw

Sure, send it to me :-)

No doubt right?
If you've ever used one they'll surprise you.
Amazing old school Technology still working today, like the Wheel!
SV Cloud Duster

[GILow]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

Hang on a sec, I just realized I don't think I've seen a single youtube sailor with a wind vane! Case closed.

That was supposed to be ironic... right?

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by GILow

That was supposed to be ironic... right?

Sort of? Some of them can be taken with a grain of salt I know, but the likes of Delos and others who have travelled as many miles as they have don't have one. We know the Totem family, pretty serious sailors, who also don't have one.

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

Oops, case open again!
Guess you missed this single handed sailor of 70+ years use one to go to Hawaii and return.
Check it out.
https://youtu.be/28TAdDu5L6U
Cheers,
SV Cloud Duster

I stand corrected. We like watching his videos, didn't realize he had a wind vane.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

Sort of? Some of them can be taken with a grain of salt I know, but the likes of Delos and others who have travelled as many miles as they have don't have one. We know the Totem family, pretty serious sailors, who also don't have one.

Well, my point about irony is that I don't necessarily regard YouTube sailors as my guide to what is best in the way of sailing. For every YouTube sailor making a quick buck by posting videos of themselves "living the life", there are countless other sailors who are getting on without feeling the need to share every moment.

To quote Douglas Adams: "How do you know you're having fun if there's no one watching you have it?"

I do have a very good/robust autopilot but I am currently building a windvane because I can see the value in it for my boat and future plans. Since I sail solo, I need options if the electrics fail. And electrics do fail.

Actually, now that I think of it, most of those YouTube sailors WITH windvanes were solo sailors.... Whereas the Delos mob/Totem (Jamie designed my sails and I am VERY happy with them) are not solo.

Perhaps THAT is a critical factor in all this?

[Jim Cate]

Actually, now that I think of it, most of those YouTube sailors WITH windvanes were solo sailors.

And on passage, cruising couples are really two single handers sharing the same boat, so many of the same caveats apply.

Jim

[robert sailor]

Many will disagree(Mike) but in my opinion if your coastal cruising an autopilot makes the most sense. You can have it fixed or replaced with relative ease and a decent one is easier to operate than a vane.
If your crossing oceans I like Wind vanes. They are quiet, use no electricity and often can be repaired during a passage.
Ideal system in my mind for crossing oceans is a good vane and a good autopilot

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

And on passage, cruising couples are really two single handers sharing the same boat, so many of the same caveats apply.

Jim

But if the electrics go "ppphhht!" at least there is someone else to share the task of steering...?

Not sure I get the point?

[Pizzazz]

Get rid of it, no question about it. A food autopilot will run circles around a wind vane any time. The current consumption is minimal compared to other loads on a modern boat, new autopilots (last 10 years) have many advanced features to deal with waves, etc. You can easily carry autopilot spares for little money. Most of my buddies with older boats are gradually getting rid of them. No racing crew I know of uses a wind vane. It is really an older mindset to keep using a wind vane, along with a sextant, magnetic compass, SSB... unless it is your hobby, like for the SSB in my case. Get a modern 3D compass/autopilot with a properly sized drive and learn how to use it well. Then go in force 6-7 sea and test it again your wind vane. Then get rid of the vane. Treasure progress. Do not live in the past.

SV Pizzazz

[bobnlesley]

We love our vane and suspect either of us would probably throw the other overboard in preference to parting with 'The Lizard' - it's a Monitor. That said, if you're only going to be day-sailing and particularly if in inshore/enclosed waters, then I'd suggest taking it off and putting it somewhere safe for the future.
I recall when we were trying to buy ours we were in the NW Greece and our second question to every boat we saw with a vane fitted was an enquiry as to whether they were interested in selling theirs, the answer was invariably 'No.' However, our first question was always: Do you use the windvane much?" The overwhelming answer to that being: Not since we came into the Mediterranean. Having eventually found and fitted their own, I quickly understood why as the Med, particularly it's eastern end amidst the islands is not a good place for windvane steering.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by GILow

But if the electrics go "ppphhht!" at least there is someone else to share the task of steering...?

Not sure I get the point?

Sharing helm duties between two is a lot better than solo, but it is still arduous for long periods IMO and IME. Longest we've had to do it was three days, when both our home design and built vane broke a pintle AND the Autohelm a/p died in the Tuomotos. Seemed a bloody long way to Papeete!

So,, my point was in reference to the comments about most of the vanes being on single hander's boats. May be true in internet land, but not so true in the real cruising world... once offshore.

I like having both, and sorely miss our old vane.

Jim

[Cpt Pat]

Although I'm not a big fan of wind vane APs, I'd keep it unless it doesn't function or really becomes a problem. My biggest issue is cost: but you've already paid for yours. My next negative is mechanical complexity. I've been an electronics tech in one form or another for 45 years - and I'm prejudiced against anything that moves mechanically, especially if it's anywhere near seawater. Third is maintenance overhead. And finally, for some APs - the necessity for nearly climbing overboard to activate the thing, such that doing that singe-handed is tempting the Grim Reaper.

I was motoring directly upwind in about 15 knots of breeze from Monterey to Half Moon Bay, CA (about a 12 hour journey) when a wire failed on a connector to my electronic AP (consistent with my prejudice - I call that a "mechanical" failure). I was trying to outrun the arrival of a winter low that would have kept me stuck in Monterey for at least a week.

It was going to be a complete PIA hand steering hour upon hour in the rain. I then realized that I could raise my main, haul it in tight amidships and as flat as a drumhead, and use my mainsail as an "air rudder." The traveler became a fine course adjuster. It worked. So I suppose I could say I resorted to the boat's "built in" wind vane steering.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Many will disagree(Mike) but in my opinion if your coastal cruising an autopilot makes the most sense. You can have it fixed or replaced with relative ease and a decent one is easier to operate than a vane.
If your crossing oceans I like Wind vanes. They are quiet, use no electricity and often can be repaired during a passage.
Ideal system in my mind for crossing oceans is a good vane and a good autopilot

I guess my point, and my experience with my old Aries vane, is that it’s not really much harder to get it going vs my tiller pilot. Once the vane is rigged, it’s not much harder to trim it and then lock it on the tiller vs snapping on the electric pilot. So why not use it?

The other nice thing is that a vane works with the boat in a similar way a sail does. So it is a natural extension of the act of sailing. A TP … not so much.

I have, and use, both. The TP is invaluable when winds are too low for the vane (ours really needs 10 knots apparent to be reliable). But typically when there’s enough wind to sail, there’s enough wind for the vane.

Another good thing about our Aries anyway, is that its performance improves as the wind increases. This is the opposite of an electric auto pilot.

Lots of people get by without a vane. To the OP; if your boat lacked one I would not necessarily recommend you get one. But it is already there, and apparently operates well. I would not remove it based on the reasons you’ve given.