Hydrovane position

[tarik]

Evening all.

May I have some advice please?


re Westerley Centaur.

I wish to fit my Hydrovane to the right of centre so as to allow an outboard motor to be fixed to the left of centre. Will the position adversely effect the operation of the Hydrovane?

As always many thanks for any replies,


David

 

[Tradewinds]

http://www.hydrovane.com/our-product/off-center/

 

[Talulah]

This question came up recently. The overwhelming response is 'It's fine to fit it off center.'
A couple I know are in the process of fitting theirs on a Najad 361 off centre.

 

[grahama]

Off centre is fine for the hydrovane, have a look at their web site there are plenty off centre.

 

[Kelpie]

What's the combined weight of your hydrovane and outboard? Are you not worried about the effect on the boat's trim?

 

[aquaplane]

What's the combined weight of your hydrovane and outboard? Are you not worried about the effect on the boat's trim?

If his Centaur is anything like mine it could do with more weight aft. The only time I don't get puddles on the cockpit seats (when it's raining) is when most of the anchor chain is out.

 

[Tim Good]

I've done a lot of research in this lately and spoke to and read a lot of accounts. My consensus is that an off centre hydrovane will not be as good as a centre mounted one but still good enough to be satisfactory. I too want to mount off centre to keep a bathing platform for diving.

That said, from all accounts a hydrovane is a compromise, where the boat often will need to be depowered and balanced well... arguably something you should do when under self steering gear anyway.

From those that have tried both, the servo pendulum models do generate more steering power but do also need to be centre mounted.

 

[KellysEye]

>where the boat often will need to be depowered and balanced well... arguably something you should do when under self steering gear anyway.

You are right that the boat has to be balanced with a wind vane but there is no need to depower for an offset wind vane if there was nobody would fit it that way and Hydrovane would recommend it - which they don't. We had a Hydrovane and it does have power setting but it is normally to adjust for boat weight only. To give an example over Biscay we had 20-25 knots for days then it picked up to a gale gusting 50 knots we made made no change to the power setting.

 

[tarik]

http://www.hydrovane.com/our-product/off-center/

Many thanks for your very useful response.

David

 

[Oscarpop]

We fitted ours in jan. Offset by about 40cm to port. Works perfectly. Crossed Biscay with it two weeks ago. Only thing is, you have to fix the wheel a little to starboard to compensate.
Identical boat to ours had their hydrovane mounted 40cm to starboard. Works perfectly. They have to fix their wheel slightly to port..
They work fine offset. Take it from the horses mouth