Best wind direction gadget.

[Binman]

Looking for something which will give me the wind direction over the bow in degrees, for under £100 pounds.

 

[sailorman]

Windex

 

[V1701]

For under £100 a handheld anemometer with built-in compass but you'll have to go & stand at the bow with it! Or if you're really clever work out a way of mounting it to face the wind & repeat what's on the display back to the cockpit. From personal experience wouldn't have a NASA one, not that you'd get theirs or anyone else's for under £100. Binned mine in favour of a Windex...

 

[VicS]

Windex

Or Hawk . Which, " sets the standard by which all Wind Indicators are judged. "

http://www.hawkmarineproducts.com/wind.htm

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Or you might even consider trying a good old-fashioned pennant staff....

Mike

 

[cliff]

Or you might even consider trying a good old-fashioned pennant staff....
Mike

or a wet finger held up to the wind......

 

[doug748]

A small home made windsock, on Wooden Boat Fitting's staff, will give a very stable reading.

After that a Hawk, the Windex seems a touch fragile.

After that a Raymarine st30 might be got, secondhand. I have found them to be very simple and reliable, 'bout 180 quid new.

 

[John the kiwi]

Look around until wind is equal on both cheeks.
Repeat many times daily for a few years.
You will always know where the wind is coming from.
(It helps to have a big nose.)
I race my yacht with no wind indicator usually though i sometimes tie lengths of yarn to the sidestays for the benefit of the crew.
These are the best wind indicators in my opinion giving visual clue to strength as well as direction.
I should add that my sails have good tell-tails in all the appropriate spots and these are what you actually sail to when the wind is forward of the beam.
Your compass will then indicate lifts and headers if you cant feel them.

 

[rob2]

I have to say that I can't see that accuracy to a degree would be of any practical use. When cruising, I expect to give the helm a course to steer rounded to the nearest 5 degrees, yet don't expect to achieve much better than ten degrees, so an instrument reading to a degree will be dancing around and nigh on unreadable. An instrument with a damped analogue output is useful, but doesn't really offer anything that a masthead burgee doesn't. The degree of usefulness will also depend on the type of boat. If the boat gets into a well-defined groove when pointing, then you hardly need even the burgee and telltales on the sails will cater for setting up the sail trim.

Rob

 

[William_H]

I find that the wind pointer in my case a home made one on mast top is most useful when a gybe is immenent. When hard on the wind the jib tells you just when you are sailing closest to the wind so is more practical than actually knowing the apparent wind direction. Of course a pointer can be useful if the wind shifts and you don't reaise it is much frrere than you thought. Reaching can be helpful in setting sails accordingly fr best performance.
Now electronic wind pointers are complex and fragile things. Despite my being in electonics all my life I would not have one on my boat. Just too much chance of damage or failure. Sure you can get a crick in the neck looking upwards but it always works and is accurate. So as said go for a pointer. (whic you probably have anyway) good luck olewill

 

[Tomahawk]

You have a very good wind indicator fitted to your head... Toy turn your head until you hear the same wind noise in each ear.

You are looking straight into the wind...

 

[ghostlymoron]

Masthead wind indicators are the most accurate without doubt but for those of us with limited neck movement, woolies on the shrouds are more convenient.

 

[Binman]

Yes I do have a Windex