Pacific Windpilot

[Koeketiene]

In view of some offshore sailing in the (hopefully) not to distant future, I am thinking of getting windvane selfsteering.

So far, I've looked at Hydrovane and Aries.
If I were to buy new, for my boat, it would set me back about 5K Euro.
Even used kit still fetches a premium price.

Now considering Pacific Windpilot.
Cost new would be a (just) affordable 3K Euro.

Anyone have any first hand experience?
What's the good, the bad and the ugly?

Many thanks

 

[sarabande]

I am about to fit one over the next month.

All I can say is that Peter Forthmann (the boss) seems always to be ready to answer (in English ) any question (however silly !) . Replacement parts are reasonable price and available off the shelf.


Very good instructions, and loads of videos for you to match your boat to their list of customers.

WINDPILOT - Company

 

[Roberto]

I have used one for 20k+ miles, can't speak highly enough. Bear in mind that practically all brands/types of wind vane steering make their users enthusiastic, which tells a lot for all of them; differences are marginal, in the details.
What I particularly like in the WP (WRT to other makes), you can take off two bolts and it can be removed and stowed; I have a stern gantry, while coastal cruising I hoist the tender there and the WP is in a locker, when going offshore the dinghy goes in the locker and the WP on the transom. Once folded, the WP occupies about the same space as a deflated rib.
The Pacific cannot be used for emergency steering; you may use a basic electric autopilot to move the aerial vane and use it for fixed route steering with a fraction of the electric consumption, as other wind steering systems can do.

 

[geem]

In view of some offshore sailing in the (hopefully) not to distant future, I am thinking of getting windvane selfsteering.

So far, I've looked at Hydrovane and Aries.
If I were to buy new, for my boat, it would set me back about 5K Euro.
Even used kit still fetches a premium price.

Now considering Pacific Windpilot.
Cost new would be a (just) affordable 3K Euro.

Anyone have any first hand experience?
What's the good, the bad and the ugly?

Many thanks

We love ours. Just done another Atlantic crossing with it. Great piece of kit. Ours is mounted on an 18t centre cockpit boat. It's steers very well. After a fault with a failed grub screw on a shaft to our autopilot our WP steered us for most of the trip across the pond.

 

[IanR]

Agree with the above, I have one. Excellent quality, brilliant support from Peter and just works

 

[Poey50]

Absolutely superb piece of kit. Looks good too!

 

[Blueboatman]

I think they are the only wind vane not trading on past laurels but continuously evolved - that’s not quite fair on the competition but you get the gist..

It is what I would buy and it is not overpriced and will resell after your circumnavigate if you wish ??

( And I have been shipmates with Hydrovane and monitor and a self built that I was pretty proud of and did blue water AND zephyrs pretty faultlessly )
And Hasler and Aries sailing on others’ boats .

He -PF- really knows his stuff
IMO

 

[pandos]

I have one that I picked up last year for about 1200 quid.

Didn't quiet get it into action last year, this year hopefully.

I have seen the odd one come up on Gumtree...

 

[doug748]

These are similar, the prices come in a bit cheaper:

Neptune Windvane - Servo Pendulum Windvane Self Steering for Yachts | Neptune Windvane

.

 

[Koeketiene]

What I particularly like in the WP (WRT to other makes), you can take off two bolts and it can be removed and stowed;

This is a HUGE plus IMHO.

I currently keep the boat on a swinging mooring, but I'm currently 3rd on the waiting list for a pontoon berth.
Places seem to free up at a rate of 2 a year.
So maybe next year, but almost certainly the year after, she'll be moving to a pontoon berth.

My previous boat had a Monitor windvane.
And I can just about count on the fingers of one hand the number of times it got clobbered in a marina by another boat entering or leaving her berth.

 

[Koeketiene]

These are similar, the prices come in a bit cheaper:

Neptune Windvane - Servo Pendulum Windvane Self Steering for Yachts | Neptune Windvane

.

Thanks for that.
It does look similar and cheaper than the Windpilot.
However, looking at the website, it's not clear whether or not VAT's included.
If it isn't price would be similar to Windpilot.

Will drop them a line to find out.

 

[Dave100456]

Only had one servo pendulum so can’t compare. However, the Neptune Windvane I fitted steered my 48ft faultlessly; very impressed with the kit.

 

[andsarkit]

I think you will find that the Neptune, South Atlantic, and Sea Feather are all copies of the original Windpilot. I went with the Windpilot Light as it was less weight sticking out behind my transom mounted rudder. Also Peter was very helpful with his advice.
Due to the interruption of Covid, I have not yet fitted it and so can't report on it's effectiveness but am confident that it will have no difficulty in steering my boat.

 

[Koeketiene]

Just on additional question for WP owners: how is performance in light winds?

 

[Poey50]

Just on additional question for WP owners: how is performance in light winds?

For our Windpilot Pacific - much better than expected with the wind vane bolt upright and the streamer helping with the orientation to the breeze. I've gone dead downwind like this until bored with the slow boat speed, not because the Windpilot failed. I can also attach a Raymarine ST2000 to a pin on the pendulum arm which gives good steering for low amps but I've never had to use that yet.

 

[elenya]

Hi we have a wind pilot and have taken it across three different yachts in about 40 years. Great gear and great service from the company. I have sailed with, and worked on, a Neptune gear and the level of construction is not as robust as wind pilot. Additionally the Neptune is more of a ‘homebuilt’ design with some of the control linkages being a little obscure and not fully thought out.
Personal option but buy once and buy well.

cheers

 

[geem]

Just on additional question for WP owners: how is performance in light winds?

How light do you want to go? We were using ours down to about 5 kts apparent dead down wind. It help in light wind to have a length of ribbon taped to the wind vane to help it move to the wind direction

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Thanks for that.
It does look similar and cheaper than the Windpilot.
However, looking at the website, it's not clear whether or not VAT's included.
If it isn't price would be similar to Windpilot.

Will drop them a line to find out.

I had a Neptune. Quite well made, and readily fitted with any number of home made wind blades to cope with different airs. Sadly having a centre cockpit wheel steered boat, it did not have enough power to cope with the necessary friction to cope with the multiple pulleys on each side to get the steering lines past the rear cockpit and to the wheel. Not that easy to take the the paddle on and off however and must be done from a dinghy, which was hardly convenient for our mud old berth.

It also had an odd system of jamming cleats on the wheel adapter rather than the moveable peg or a clutch sytem. We could have found an old aeries wheel maybe it still would not have had enough strength. So sold it on

Probably would be fine with tiller, and maybe be they supply a better wheel adapter.

Could use it now on current boat which has tiller and all tide mooring but one cant keep expensive stuff around unused

 

[Walusotu]

I have a Winpilot Pacific on my Westerly Storm. Have crossed oceans with it and it is the best and most reliable crew that you can hope for.

Good design, good materials, easily fitted and maintained and well supported by the supplier.

 

[dansaskip]

Go with the Wind Pilot you won't be disappointed. I used to have one on my previous boat and it was superb. I was going to carry it over to my current boat but that already had a Monitor fitted. What Geem says about the ribbon is true and in addition think it looks nice>