Want To Buy: windvane autohelm

[surazo]

I'm seeking an Autohelm wind autopilot for my Perry 47 .I have the vase mounted in the transom .Any offer .Thanks

[pcmm]

How old is your Autopilot. Even quite old ones will take input from your masthead unit (assuming you have one)

[surazo]

My boat came only with the base where was mounted an old windvane .I don't have a masthead unit

[Jim Cate]

To clear things up, are you (OP) talking about the auxilary rudder/trim tab wind steering unit called "Autohelm" and still being made and sold by Scanmar, or about a wind sensor for an old Autohelm brand (predecessor to Ray Marine) electronic auto pilot?

Very different things with very similar names!

Jim

[surazo]

it's about the auxiliary rudder/trim tam called Autohelm and sold by scanmar sometimes called Scanmar Windvane

[Jim Cate]

Thanks for clearing that up. Good luck with your search... I designed and built a wind vane unit based on the Autohelm concept (push/pull cables driving the trim tab) that steered our previous boat for many years and circa 50,000 miles. Worked quite well, too!

Jim

[surazo]

Jim , could you share this plans for me ? Probably I can do the same and it was tested by you and probably upgrade with the experience .hhcorreav@gmail.com
Thanks
Hernan

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by surazo

Jim , could you share this plans for me ? Probably I can do the same and it was tested by you and probably upgrade with the experience .hhcorreav@gmail.com
Thanks
Hernan

Sorry Hernan, but that design and build was done in 1983 and the drawings are long gone. I used the general layout of the genuine Autohelm with the rudder scaled to my own boat (a retired IOR one-tonner). I used a NACA 018 profile (much better than that of the Autohelm) and teflon tubes to route the push/pull wires to the trim tab... lower friction than the original ones. Built a couple of wind vanes before getting one that was light enough to perform well in light air conditions.

When we sold that boat nearly twenty years ago the new owner sadly removed the whole thing and threw it away... didn't like how it looked!

Good luck in finding something. Autohelm vanes do come up for sale now and then, even here on CF. Might be a bit scarcer in Chile!

Jim

[surazo]

Anyway .Thanks Jim and unfortunately your design gone with the wind .Thanks for your advices .I will try to get one of this old Scanmar Autopilot It's matter of patience .I don't have the experience to design one of it .
best regards