bajo
Well-Known Member
I am here trying to get some info for a friend using this wind vane on a Contessa 26, if anyone had or has the necessary know how to get the best results from this vane,it would be most appreciated.
QME wind vane
- Thread starter bajo
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VicS
Well-Known Member
The book "Self-steering for Sailboats" (" Self-Steering for Yachts" ??) by Gerard Dijkstra may cover it if you can find a copy. Amazon, e-Bay, public library.
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doug748
Well-Known Member
I have checked out Vic's suggestion, as I have a copy. There is not much of use in there.
The QME was a basic unit and cost less than half of other solutions on the market at the time. Best not to expect too much, is what I am trying to say. However on a boat like the Contessa it should be useful and worth having a go with.
I have searched my marine archive (or rather what the CO unkindly calls: "that pile of yachting stuff") and uncovered an excellent article by John Slightholme from 1972. Give me a PM with a postal address and I will post a copy on.
The QME was a basic unit and cost less than half of other solutions on the market at the time. Best not to expect too much, is what I am trying to say. However on a boat like the Contessa it should be useful and worth having a go with.
I have searched my marine archive (or rather what the CO unkindly calls: "that pile of yachting stuff") and uncovered an excellent article by John Slightholme from 1972. Give me a PM with a postal address and I will post a copy on.
jwilson
Well-Known Member
I have used one: does not generate much power to the tiller lines, especially offwind, so you do need to balance the sails well. Especially offwind, the course was always a bit S-shaped, though it did work.
On a Contessa 26 I'd be tempted to fit a small trim tab to the rudder and steer the trim tab with a small tiller pilot. It will use a tenth of the power turning a trim tab than it would use turning the full rudder.
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>you do need to balance the sails well
Agree, it's an absolute must for any vane gear.
Agree, it's an absolute must for any vane gear.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Ive seen the QME described as a steering aid rather that a full self steering gear.
My experience of the Co26 is that it is probably all it needs.
A simple electronic autopilot barely has any work to do, even without a trim tab.
My experience of the Co26 is that it is probably all it needs.
A simple electronic autopilot barely has any work to do, even without a trim tab.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Incorrect.
This comment can be a little misleading
In fact i bought my Aeries because of the heavy helm on my boat . The Simrad TP32 cannot cope in heavy weather
With the Aeries If you try to hold the control line against the pull of the steering oar you would find that a grown man could not pull it for long. In fact if the boat is moving over 5 knots one cannot hold it against the pull at all
It is a myth that you need a balanced sail layout with a good gear like the Aeries.
However, I have no experience of the subject vane so that may be the case in poorly designed vanes
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jwilson
Well-Known Member
The QME is a mechanically very simple device, but the pull it can generate on the tiller line is limited by the fact that there is no water-paddle servo action - pull to the tiller is created only by lift/drag from the air vane. It was very cheap though when first built.
Once you make the windvane control a water servo paddle a la Aries/Hydrovane etc (much more complex mechanics) you gain lots of power.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
I had one on a long keeled 4 tonner......it got lost but I never had much luck withit.
TimBennet
Well-Known Member
Well not quite, the Hydrovane isn't a servo pendulum unit. It simply uses the force generated by the airvane to turn its own self contained auxiliary rudder.
Other servo pendulum units like the Aries are the Sea Feather, WindPilot Pacific including the light, Monitor, etc.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
That is true but the idea is that you set the main rudder to counteract the main pull of the sails. Then lock it off & the auxhilliary rudder effe tively provides a trim to that.
That being said Some sailors find that they can just fix the main rudder with a bungee & the self steering unit is enough on its own
fishermantwo
Well-Known Member
I agree, my replica monitor steers the boat easily while I reef the main or roll up the headsail. I use it to hold the boat head to wind hove to while I fish. In a moderate breeze it will steer the boat close reaching with just the stack pack mainsail cover.
I would suggest searching out and downloading the free book "Self Steering under Sail" by Peter Christian Forthmann.
Behome
Well-Known Member
I had one in the late 70's and only got it to work successfully twice over about 5 years despit much trying. For occasional use I'd recommend a Tillerpilot or similar, otherwise it's a servo system.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I am sure you are not the only one who could not get on with wind powered self steering. One only has to look at the number of boats with redundant units fitted & loads of people say they are only any good for long trips.
Of course this is rubbish & people just do not know how to set them up. As an example I found a significant improvement to how my Aeries worked when I applied a glass fibre reinforcing to the vane to make it stiffer.
It took me over. A season to get the setup correct & now it is working OK I would never give it up except for a different make which was lighter
My boat is one of the modern wide beam boats & this is unballanced- not the sails , the hull. As a result it is harder for the vane to constantly compensate as opposed to say a long keeler. You just have to learn how to set i tup
mikeinkwazi
Well-Known Member
I used one from '74 to '76 when sailing a 26ft trimaran to and around the Med. It helped trim the boat to self steer to windward and on a beam reach. Downwind you needed a full gale! Don't expect too much.KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>In fact i bought my Aeries because of the heavy helm on my boat . ..It is a myth that you need a balanced sail layout with a good gear like the Aeries.
If you have a heavy helm then the sails aren't balanced. I can't see why an Aries would be any differnt regarding balanced sails than any other vane gear.
If you have a heavy helm then the sails aren't balanced. I can't see why an Aries would be any differnt regarding balanced sails than any other vane gear.
BurnitBlue
Well-Known Member
Surely that is because you made the vane heavier not stiffer. Some folk got the same effect by squeezing a pair of vice pliers onto the vane. Right at the top for light winds and then moved down the edge as the wind increased.
Could get the same effect by reducing the balance weight but with no easy adjustment
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I have rigged an adjustable weight to my aeries. By adjusting 2 screws i can move an additional weight up or down to balance my different vanes. The item i mentioned above is just one of several adjustments I have made & was- as i said- just an example of various imrovements to suit my boat
Th fibre glass made the vane stiffer so it does not flex in a twisting manner
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
No it is not necessarily different to other gears
What i was referring to was the incorrect statement that one needs balanced sails. It helps but is not necessary. I felt i needed to make the point as people think it is a pre requisite which it is not
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I bought my Aeries from an ex cat sailor. On a. Multihull you would expect to go fairly quick down wind & this stalls the vane. It would also be directionally unstable on a reach as the apparent wind speed moves well forward & bears less relationship to true wind. A Contessa 26 is a different matter & would work really well with a good light vane gear
