Does your Aries swing to the left?

[Erico]

I was very pleased to inherit an Aries Standard windvane with my latest boat but in 18 months it has rarely worked well for me when it needs to apply port helm (to turn the boat to starboard).

With the vane over at full lock the blade does not twist to port anything like as well as it does to starboard. This means that even at 4 knots through the water the blade swings only sluggishly to port (thus pulling the tiller to port via crossed steering line) and therefore does not develop the power that it needs. The blade appears to be dead ahead when the vane is upright and the gear is square on the stern of boat.

If you have an Aries does it develop power as well to port as it does to starboard

 

[AndrewB]

It is a matter of setting it up correctly. You have to mesh the two large half-cogs in the centre of the gear just right. One can be released fairly easily and slid along its pivot to allow the cogs to be disengaged, and then re-engaged differently. Adjust by one tooth at a time until you get equal turn each way - the exact tooth matters. Like everything else about an Aries it isn't symettrical - you don't just match up the center teeth of the two cogs. Incidentally, the turn doesn't need to be very much either way to be effective.

Older Aries have a tendancy to seize given the stainless-aluminium mix, check that all the many moving parts are all moving freely. I found dismantling and fitting a refurbishment kit for all bearings etc gave mine a new lease of life.

(Sorry if this explanation isn't very clear, I don't have the diagram to hand. But the half-cogs should be obvious enough).

 

[Paulka]

Agreed!
Mine uses to seize during periods of inactivity at the nylon bearings.
I just grind them until it works freely again. But I would like to do it in a more "professional" manner, and would be glad to get the adress where the refurbishing kit is available.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Sailing Large...........

Andrew is dead right. Although the waterfoil has only a small amount of lateral travel, it must be equal. It took as months to work this out. If the splines/cog looks wrong from behind it is probably right !

When the sails and Aries are pulling well, and the miles are ticking along you have true orgasmic acoustic boat travel......

 

[Guest]

My tailor asks me if I dress to the right or the left! It took some years to fathom out what he was talking about!!!

 

[AndrewB]

Aries spares.

Spares and instructions are available from Helen Frankin in Cornwall. See http://www.ariesvane.com/ or there is a small-ad in the current issue of YM.

 

[Paulka]

Re: Aries spares.

Thanks, Andrew.
I'll check the site.

Paul

 

[markhankey]

Re: Aries spares.

Ordered spares kit from Helen 2 weeks ago. Very friendly and
good service. Also if you go to the homepage you will get some
hints on rebuilding. Am starting my rebuild next week.