Do you still beat to windward ?

Porthandbuoy said:
I can only conclude that I am no gentleman as I enjoy tacking to windward, striving to get the best out of the boat. The windvane gear helps enormously as, once set and the sails trimmed, it does a better job of helming Ladybird than me. Steers a lousy compass course though :unsure:
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I once or twice got my Sea Feather to steer a hypnotically beautiful course to windward. That was 10+ year agos and the bloody thing has never worked since - just sits there with the wind vane flopped to one side, the rudder full over and the boat crabbing slowly sideways. It's on its last chance this year. Either it works or off it comes.
 
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JumbleDuck said:
I once or twice got my Sea Feather to steer a hypnotically beautiful course to windward. That was 1)= year ago and the bloody thing has never worked since - just sits there with the wind vane flopped to one side, the rudder full over and the boat crabbing slowly sideways. It's on its last chance this year. Either it works or off it comes.
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I have a Monitor windvane and it really is superb. I can't recommend it highly enough.
 
Poignard said:
I have a Monitor windvane and it really is superb. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Modern electronic autopilots are pretty brilliant - the best ones so good that they had to be blocked from the main prizes in racing last season, as top flight autopilot better than even experienced racing helms in many conditions.
 
Poignard said:
I have a Monitor windvane and it really is superb. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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What is it like down wind? What boat do you have it on? I have a lift off pattern Aeries & once the wind gets behind the mast it really struggles unless it is blowing hard, but then the boat veers all over the place ( sail balance is not the issue here) . But my boat is a short fin & very unstable on the helm. That being said it is much better than the useless Raymarine AV 100
I have thought of changing to a Monitor. Lighter, but not sure if it would do better.
 
dunedin said:
Modern electronic autopilots are pretty brilliant - the best ones so good that they had to be blocked from the main prizes in racing last season, as top flight autopilot better than even experienced racing helms in many conditions.
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You can’t say that on here ?
 
Daydream believer said:
What is it like down wind? What boat do you have it on? I have a lift off pattern Aeries & once the wind gets behind the mast it really struggles unless it is blowing hard, but then the boat veers all over the place ( sail balance is not the issue here) . But my boat is a short fin & very unstable on the helm. That being said it is much better than the useless Raymarine AV 100
I have thought of changing to a Monitor. Lighter, but not sure if it would do better.
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Downwind and goose-winged it works very precisely but with a strong wind on the quarter and all sail set the boat yaws about and the Monitor is working hard. However, the Monitor has never lost control. Winding in some of the genoa reduces the yawing. I have two vanes, the standard size and a large one. Most of the time I use the large one. I think the rudder could do with being a bit larger.

The boat is a Twister.

The Monitor is quite heavy; 55lbs I think.
 
I remember once in the early days trying to beat up Carlingford Lough to Greenore against an incoming tide and wondering why I was going backwards!

On a cruise, when required, I'd motor against the wind with the mainsail up and tight but sail just off the wind enough to keep the sail from flogging.

I've only day-sailed SH the last couple of years, usually a beat south west towards Dalkey Island with the prevailing winds, round the Muglins and then short gybes up Dalkey Straight and then downwind back to Dun Laoghaire harbour. I find it a good excuse to practice the various skills.

Occasionally I will take a gentleman's sail on a reach there and back to Howth. ?
 
One of the few really good sailing decisions I have made was to abandon a late afternoon departure from Astokos in Greece about 40 minutes into the leg when it was apparent the wind would be on the nose the entire trip. It would have been a miserable hard slog. We returned to Astokos, got a decent nights sleep and set off earlyish next day. On reflection we should not have set off, but we were due to rendezvous with the flotilla that evening and left it too late. We just VHFd the flotilla leader and they were fine about it.

Beating is fine, but only when you feel like it.....or the boat feels like it?
 
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I like a good upwind boat because, given the nature of things, that is most often where you are trying to get. Plus I dislike motoring, a lot.

I will admit defeat if slogging against the tide; with the tide I am generally quite happy. As someone mentioned, in light airs going upwind is great and often the only direction you can make good, restful progress.

.
 
Simple solution! SWMBO doesn’t do windward! Waiting for a shift in wind is the order of the day generally. Occasionally I get away with it but generally hear quite a lot about it afterwards?
 
JumbleDuck said:
Because with the boat heeled over a bit the photograph shows more hull and less cabin roof, making them look a bit less as if they have been inflated.
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My impression is that most publicity shots are taken from the leeward side of the close hauled yacht?
 
JumbleDuck said:
I once or twice got my Sea Feather to steer a hypnotically beautiful course to windward. That was 10+ year agos and the bloody thing has never worked since - just sits there with the wind vane flopped to one side, the rudder full over and the boat crabbing slowly sideways. It's on its last chance this year. Either it works or off it comes.
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Starting Tuesday there's a series of 3 programmes on BBC Radio 4 on why we cannot repair kit: How We Broke the Future
But I think it majors on digital stuff, so I doubt marine mechanical equipment will get a look-in...
 
JumbleDuck said:
Because with the boat heeled over a bit the photograph shows more hull and less cabin roof, making them look a bit less as if they have been inflated.
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Well spotted! If you lean a caravan over to show the chassis, it could be a racing car :)
A pity about your Sea Feather, lots of people including some on here have had success with them. eg Zoidberg and Wandering Star.
Anything I suggest, you have probably tried already...
 
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