Poll - Best Windvane Self-steering system ?

Best Windvane Self-steering ?

  • Aries

    Votes: 20 17.7%

  • Capehorn

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • Fleming

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • Hydrovane

    Votes: 46 40.7%

  • Monitor

    Votes: 20 17.7%

  • Neptune

    Votes: 3 2.7%

  • Sailomat

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sea feather

    Votes: 7 6.2%

  • Voyager

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Windpilot

    Votes: 15 13.3%
  • Total voters
    113
:D The QM . Golly. Looked great didn't it?

Actually if you inclined the vanes axis that would at least give proportional response.
Couple that not to the tiller but to a trim tab permanently fitted to the rudder of something like a MG design with good inherent directional sailing characteristics... ...Add in a differential linkage twixt vane and trimtab...... And it would probably be fine.

Affordable and easy to repair .

So next time someone e sees one at a jumble for a fiver....:)
 
Last edited:
ghostlymoron said:
Tranona, you're right there was a very recent review in YW.

No-power steering
Aug 2012 p86-89 (4.00 pages)
View Related Articles
Category: Gear & equipment / Gear tests / Handling
Author: Mike Owen
Description: Gear focus: Windvane self-steering
Windwane self-steerinf is still popular on ocean cruisers, despite the march of technology. Mike Owen takes a look at the products on the market, the pros and cons and how suitable they are for different sizes of boat. How did they perform?
Click to expand...
Which ones did they review, may I ask ?

Thanks,

Boo2
 
>The only disadvantage I've ever heard is you can't lift the rudder. We never needed to lift it so I can't see the disadvantage.

>>You would if you'd ever boffed it on a quay/ballast. Horses for courses, as Tim Bennet wrote.

That's just careless, if the water isn't clear and thus you can't see if there is ballast below the quay then I wouldn't go stern to.

>the rudder is big enough to use as an emergency rudder
>>Advantageous to many, but by no means unique to the Hydrovane.

Which ones are those?
 
I'm not sure the poll will answer the question...

But I have placed my vote.

When looking for a windvane last year, I asked anyone I saw with a vane fitted and the response of 95% was that the one they had themselves was the best. We eventually went for a Monitor unit as in response to my secondary question, the overwhelming reply seemed to be: "Well if you can't get hold of an xxxx, then you'd probably be best trying to get a Monitor."

My only proviso on this would be if you've got a centre-cockpit yacht, in which case I'd go for the Hydrovane as first choice, simply to avoid the long control lines and perhaps several turning-blocks you'd need for the installation.
 
KellysEye said:
>The only disadvantage I've ever heard is you can't lift the rudder. We never needed to lift it so I can't see the disadvantage.

>>You would if you'd ever boffed it on a quay/ballast. Horses for courses, as Tim Bennet wrote.

That's just careless, if the water isn't clear and thus you can't see if there is ballast below the quay then I wouldn't go stern to.

>the rudder is big enough to use as an emergency rudder
>>Advantageous to many, but by no means unique to the Hydrovane.

Which ones are those?
Click to expand...

Whether carelessness, or misfortune, it happens (not to me, I'm glad to say). It's a consideration, of what relative importance it's for the owner to decide.

As to an example of "which one", if you'd read the thread with less carelessness you'd have seen just such a reference, and more than once.
 
KellysEye said:
>

>the rudder is big enough to use as an emergency rudder
>>Advantageous to many, but by no means unique to the Hydrovane.

Which ones are those?
Click to expand...

I guess I'll answer so that this thread might be as 'complete' as possible a reference. So (as far as I know), that would be the WindPilot Pacific Plus and the Auto-Helm (the one by Scanmar, not the little electronic thing) with the Monitor having an emergency rudder capability if you have the MRUD add-on.
 
I must admit that I have not read all the answers. My vote is for Hydrovane but I have never owned any of the others. Horatio has been steering my big heavy old Moody 42 for 16 years. In all kinds of weather and all wind directions, he has been my most reliable crew.

Once he is set up and they do take a little getting to know, he has steered through gales and near calms and never once complained.

Good luck. :)
 
Self-steering - nicknames

Just noticed that Frankie-H calls his Hydrovane Horatio.

I've read blogs articles etc where other cruisers have given their autopilots/self-steering human names too.

I've had my Hydrovane for 20years - it's reliably taken me across the oceans in fair or foul.

But, I've never given it a name - is there something wrong with me? :eek:


PS. I obviously like my Hydrovane but I'm sure the Windpilots, Monitors etc are equally as capable.
 
Blueboatman said:
:D The QM . Golly. Looked great didn't it?

Actually if you inclined the vanes axis that would at least give proportional response.
Couple that not to the tiller but to a trim tab permanently fitted to the rudder of something like a MG design with good inherent directional sailing characteristics... ...Add in a differential linkage twixt vane and trimtab...... And it would probably be fine.

Affordable and easy to repair .

So next time someone e sees one at a jumble for a fiver....:)
Click to expand...

Well, it was on an MG designed boat, but I never managed to get it to work well so bought a Mini Seacourse. QM fetched £25 in Yot Grot in Lymington, then run by another MG fan, Maurice Bailey.

Now, I am really showing my age - £25 was a lot of dosh!
 
oldbilbo said:
So I have a conundrum. Perhaps peeps here will help solve it.....

I have managed to acquire both a Navik and a Sea Feather, both used, and neither yet fitted to my 27' long-keeler with reverse counter.

Which one should I sell?
Click to expand...

Decisions, decisions, I have a Hasler (SP2) and an Aries both to sell soon.
Sorry, but I could not help myself riding on the back of this one ;)
 
Tradewinds said:
Just noticed that Frankie-H calls his Hydrovane Horatio.

I've read blogs articles etc where other cruisers have given their autopilots/self-steering human names too.

I've had my Hydrovane for 20years - it's reliably taken me across the oceans in fair or foul.

But, I've never given it a name - is there something wrong with me? :eek:


PS. I obviously like my Hydrovane but I'm sure the Windpilots, Monitors etc are equally as capable.
Click to expand...



Just think how much better your Hydrovane would perform if it felt loved and personalized and made a member of the family. :D
 
I've spent many a long night watch idly chatting to Nando the Navik... or Steve the ST1000 if under motor...
 
I think ease of use should be of consideration. My replica monitor is operated from my normal sitting position in the cockpit via a Porsche 928 timing belt to set the vane to the wind. I can tack and have the vane set on the new course within 10 to 20 seconds one handed. I often wonder how people with centre cockpits and hydrovanes manage.
 
fishermantwo said:
I think ease of use should be of consideration. My replica monitor is operated from my normal sitting position in the cockpit via a Porsche 928 timing belt to set the vane to the wind. I can tack and have the vane set on the new course within 10 to 20 seconds one handed. I often wonder how people with centre cockpits and hydrovanes manage.
Click to expand...
There's (on mine) a continuous line that goes around a worm drive on the unit which tacks the unit. The end of the continuous line is adjacent to the cockpit - seemples ;).
 
I had an old Haslar servo pendulum gear for years and it performed brilliantly until I moved it from a tiller to a wheel on a new boat. There was too much friction through all the blocks and bevels and linkages to finally arrive at the rudder ! I'm sure the newer more powerful servos have no problem with this as borne out by everyone seeming to love their own gear. I now have a Hydrovane which has less power but also needs less as doesnt need to turn main rudder. It gets my vote for being an elegant self contained steering system that has also performed brilliantly.
 
PTB said:
I now have a Hydrovane ...It gets my vote for being an elegant self contained steering system that has also performed brilliantly.
Click to expand...

I've no doubt you are correct about your experiences in every respect, but as several others suggested earlier in the thread, most people's votes are of limited meaning because they've had little opportunity to compare like with like across the full range of systems (and boats, come to that). I have lots of experience of one type and a little of two others, so I can say that a Windpilot Pacific works well (and elegantly). But can I in all conscience vote for it as the best? No way.
 
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