Hawk Wind Indicator Angles

[rwoofer]

Just bought a Hawk wind indicator and unlike the old days they do not provide any set angles for the reference arms you use to see how close winded you are.

Can anyone suggest a sensible angle for a reasonable performance cruising boat (Jeanneau Sun 2000)?

Obviously I would like them to be reasonably close to the apparent wind sailing angle, but definitely does not need to be exact.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Just bought a Hawk wind indicator and unlike the old days they do not provide any set angles for the reference arms you use to see how close winded you are.

Can anyone suggest a sensible angle for a reasonable performance cruising boat (Jeanneau Sun 2000)?

Obviously I would like them to be reasonably close to the apparent wind sailing angle, but definitely does not need to be exact.

Try 30 degrees? My guess is that will be fairly near right figure.

 

[tillergirl]

That's bad luck. My Hawk box is sitting outside the front gate in the paper recycle bag and the guide was on the back of the box. From memory there were three settings, one of which was 65 degrees. I set mine a little wider (MAB!).

 

[ianat182]

Mine's 35 degrees without 'pinching', ie. 70 degrees angle.


ianat182

I have a spare one here in its box and it is for yachts up to 26ft and the 10" model vane,which says to set it to 50 degrees average. Before fitting it should be balanced in still air . I quote:

"Before fitting the Hawk Wind Indicator the vane must be balanced in still air by the following methods
Place vane on support rod which shoud then be tilted to about 30 degrees from vertical.If the vanerevolves adjust the position of the weight which is slipped under the pointer end of the vane,by sliding it with the end of a screwdriver until no rotation of the vane occurs when the support rod is tilted."

 

[VicS]

Just bought a Hawk wind indicator and unlike the old days they do not provide any set angles for the reference arms you use to see how close winded you are.

Can anyone suggest a sensible angle for a reasonable performance cruising boat (Jeanneau Sun 2000)?

Obviously I would like them to be reasonably close to the apparent wind sailing angle, but definitely does not need to be exact.

I think you will find that "Great Hawk" is the one supplied with the preset spacers for the reference arms ( as well as a variable one)
"Hawk" is supplied only with the variable one.

The preset spacers are 55°. 60° and 65°. One of those angles would be a good starting pont depending upon how close winded your boat is.

( I set the arms for my not very close winded bilge keeler at nearly 90° !)

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

 

[rwoofer]

Thanks all. I think I was being optimistic with the 45 degrees they are currently set at. 60 feels right to me.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks all. I think I was being optimistic with the 45 degrees they are currently set at. 60 feels right to me.

I am confused where you are getting the 'optimistic 45 degrees from. Do you really mean that there was 45 degrees between the indicators?

When I said 30 degrees - I meant each indicator to be thirty degrees from 'dead aft' - in other words 60 degrees between the indicators total. This means that with you sailing plus or minus 45 degrees off the true wind, the apparent wind (which is of course what the hawk indicates) will be at about thirty degrees which is about right for most cruising yachts.

I have never seen the hawk that can be set to 45 degrees of apparent wind ie 90 degrees between the arms - and in fact you would be only just higher than a beam reach if the apparent wind was that far aft when you were beating... Conversely 45 degrees between the arms would be more close winded than a 12 Metres boat.

 

[rwoofer]

I am confused where you are getting the 'optimistic 45 degrees from. Do you really mean that there was 45 degrees between the indicators?

When I said 30 degrees - I meant each indicator to be thirty degrees from 'dead aft' - in other words 60 degrees between the indicators total. This means that with you sailing plus or minus 45 degrees off the true wind, the apparent wind (which is of course what the hawk indicates) will be at about thirty degrees which is about right for most cruising yachts.

I have never seen the hawk that can be set to 45 degrees of apparent wind ie 90 degrees between the arms - and in fact you would be only just higher than a beam reach if the apparent wind was that far aft when you were beating... Conversely 45 degrees between the arms would be more close winded than a 12 Metres boat.

45 degrees between the tabs, which I set whilst very tired and not thinking straight, hence the post. Have to say many cruising boats I've sailed do struggle to sail well above 40 degrees apparent.

 

[VicS]

I have never seen the hawk that can be set to 45 degrees of apparent wind ie 90 degrees between the arms

If you dont use one of the preset spacers supplied with the Great Hawk but rather the "spacer" that allows the arms to be set manually they can be set at 90° to each other, or jolly nearly anyway.