Hydrovane our best option?

stevenawatt

stevenawatt

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Hi,

I am thinking of fitting a Hydrovane wind vane as we are short crewed on a 43' ketch, just my wife and myself.
What worries me a little is that Baobab is long keeled and even with a bow thruster is a pain to go astern.

Would a Hydrovane make this even more difficult?

Thanks
 
I use a Hydrovane on my Nic 38 - also long-keeled. It's great for longer passages but can make life difficult in tight spaces. Whenever I can I unship the rudder when a tight space looms.

I wouldn't be without it despite its limitations.

Peter
 
Ah Rhapsode, that's what worries me..our marina is tight, not sure I could cope with mooring.
How difficult is it to remove the rudder?

I thought that one of the windvane systems has an auxiliary rudder that can be lifted clear of the water.

Steve
 
The Hydrovane website explains how to remove the rudder, as do all the other manufacturers!

Aux rudder or servo pendulum, there cannot be a system that doesn't let you raise/remove the blade/rudder with more or less ease, it wouldn't be practical otherwise, would it?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I thought that one of the windvane systems has an auxiliary rudder that can be lifted clear of the water.

[/ QUOTE ]

Several have, including the Monitor and the Windpilot. On the Monitor all you have to do is pull one line briefly to unlatch it, then haul another line to pull the water paddle up to clear of the water.
 
There was a thread on here the other day with photos, someone had a made a hinge to lift the rudder. May have been on liveaboard pages.
 
Remember, with the Monitor it's not a rudder that you see in the water, but a paddle which turns in the water after getting the message via geers from the wind vane. This turning motion pushes the paddle sideways from the force of the water passing it, so sending a message via a line to the tiller or wheel.
Lifting the paddle is as simple as Twisterowner says and is best lifted when going astern.
I crossed Biscay last summer in a friends Nic 38 and I wished we had a Monitor wind vane at the time. They are better than than a good autopilot or even 2 extra crew!
 
At the risk of being pedantic, Monitor can supply (at a price..) an emergency rudder kit MRUD for a standard monitor vane. It allows you to use the vane as a rudder in the event of a failure of the main rudder.
 
One of the great things about a Hydrovane is that it is an aux. rudder, so going into tight places ask SWIMBO to use it to help steer you in.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

I am thinking of fitting a Hydrovane wind vane as we are short crewed on a 43' ketch, just my wife and myself.
What worries me a little is that Baobab is long keeled and even with a bow thruster is a pain to go astern.

Would a Hydrovane make this even more difficult?

Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

You will have to be mindful of the possibility that the mizzen might back wind the vane?
 
Steve,

There are some good ideas on the forum which may help you.

The main reasons that I bought the Hydrovane are:

1. The Nic 38 has a centre cockpit and it would be difficult to run lines to the wheel which systems like the Monitor require.

2. The Hydrovane is, in itself, an emergency rudder which makes life simpler.

To unship the rudder I can (just) lean out over the transom and remove the pins. (There are two pins - the main one though the rudder stock and a smaller locking pin that goes through the main pin to stop it from working itself loose). The rudder blade comes with a hole in the top through which a line is always attached. Once the rudder is free from the pins I can then pull it on on board.

If my wife is on board then she takes the weight of the rudder blade once it is free from the pins.

So far I have not been able to ship the blade without either getting into the water, using the dinghy or putting the boat stern to the pontoon.

Hope this is of help to you.

Peter
 
Some folk find that locking the Hydrovane rudder amidships helps with going astern in a longkeeler. I don't find it helps in mine (35' l/k), but whatever you do make sure it IS locked centrally! I would also guess that someone operating the vane to control the rudder would help once you've got some way on.

I'm always a bit nervous backing up with that expensive gear on the back, but even if the rudder is unshipped, the shaft is still well below the level of any pontoon - it's the vane gear that will hit something before the rudder will, so leaving it in the water isn't really the issue. Same applies to any other make surely?
 
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