Most useful old method of seeing wind direction without a windex or instruments?

I too have wollies (great word) on the sails but seldom give them much attention, likewise the Windex, which is far too high up for my aged neck. My wind instrument is reliable enough for sailing, but I don’t usually sail ‘to’ it. It comes in handy when running though, and my eyes will be fixated on it if there is the risk if a gybe. When running directly downwind something at the masthead, probably the light array, interferes with the wind sensor. Fortunately, this only affects the wind speed and not the direction. I first noticed this when tied up and it was blowing about 30kn from astern but the meter was only showing 5-10.
 
Daydream believer said:
I normally have my Musto collar turned right up & my wooly hat( without which I could not sail) pulled tight over my ears.
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And, just to illustrate the fact that "There's nowt so queer as folk", I dislike sailing with my head covered precisely because I can't feel the wind - I only wear a hat or hood is there's no alternative! And when wearing a hat, I avoid wearing types that cover my ears. I am, perhaps, fortunate that I still (at almost the Biblical three score years and ten) have a good head of hair!

Again, not to say anything is right or wrong, my wind instrument is there a) for fine-tuning, and to see whether I might be able to pinch up a bit higher if necessary and b) bragging rights when the wind-speed gets a bit high for comfort!
 
Without a hat one's head loses a lot of heat. I can suffer severe head pain, even in the garden without a wooly hat & can rarely be seen without one. This winter has been worse than usual & I have suffered really badly. I do have a hairy head as well. Fortunately I have not sucummed to washing it with Mr Muscle & a "J" cloth-- Yet ;)
 
Daydream believer said:
I am glad you are honest about being tied up. There are those on this forum who might claim that it was due to their sailing at 20-25 kts. across Lyme bay whilst sipping a pink gin :rolleyes:
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The chief reason for my omitting that story is that I don’t like gin. Not being in the happy position of owning an Anderson 22, I have never achieved 20-25 knots in Lyme Bay. I’ve managed double figures a couple of times but it scared my wife and I was reined in.
 
Hoisting a burgee on a bamboo cane was one of the tasks that my sister and I, as children, were given when sailing on the family boat in the 1950s.
Just attaching the Little Ship Club burgee on its cane to the halyard was tricky. Managing to actually hoist it above the masthead, clear of cross trees, the back stay and other rigging was an art in itself. The task was even more difficult in a fresh breeze from the wrong direction.
After years of practice we became quite competent and were still using burgees as wind indicators on our own boats in the ‘60s and ‘70s. In those days we were always worried that Bernard Hayman, a noted stickler for flag etiquette, might join us in an anchorage with Barbican so we made sure to lower the burgee and take in the ensign before sunset.
 
When you are down below, comfortable and dossing , you still need to know if the wind has changed strength or direction.

It's rather tiresome having to move about again. Without having to shift , I have a ribbon
attached to the backstay at just the right position so I can see what's going on. Careful positioning also enables one companionway board to be left in if desired.
 
Jan Harber said:
Hoisting a burgee on a bamboo cane was one of the tasks that my sister and I, as children, were given when sailing on the family boat in the 1950s.
Just attaching the Little Ship Club burgee on its cane to the halyard was tricky. Managing to actually hoist it above the masthead, clear of cross trees, the back stay and other rigging was an art in itself. The task was even more difficult in a fresh breeze from the wrong direction.
After years of practice we became quite competent and were still using burgees as wind indicators on our own boats in the ‘60s and ‘70s. In those days we were always worried that Bernard Hayman, a noted stickler for flag etiquette, might join us in an anchorage with Barbican so we made sure to lower the burgee and take in the ensign before sunset.
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We last did that on our Mystere which we sold in 1987. The masthead was clear of everything except a small light, since we were resolutely radioless. Curiously, our buyer’s surveyor said that the boat had one, among other misconceptions. I miss the old routine now, as an exercise in manual skill.
 
johnalison said:
We last did that on our Mystere which we sold in 1987. The masthead was clear of everything except a small light, since we were resolutely radioless. Curiously, our buyer’s surveyor said that the boat had one, among other misconceptions. I miss the old routine now, as an exercise in manual skill.
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And here's another who hoisted a burgee for wind direction! Keeping the tension on the fall so that it went up vertically between the stays was a skill I still remember - even hoisting courtesy flags I still keep tension on the fall, out of habit!
 
There is a trick to hoisting a burgee on a bamboo cane to the masthead. As those that have tried they will know how it flops about & catches in the crosstrees etc.
Take the burgee halyard, with pole duly attached, To the back of the boat & hoist it whilst standing by the backstay. Then it will go up clear of most obstructions. If the boat is wind rode on the mooring, so much the better. Once at the top, maintain tension, walk forward & tie off.
 
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