Recommendations for wind steering system I can buy in UK please

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cliffdale

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I have a Dufour 36. Last year I completely replaced the steering with a new Autohelm st8001.

I'm planning some 4 or 5 day passages and am bothered going all electric for steering.

I'm thinking of using a hydrovane but the choice is all too new for me to choose the best option. I have never used a hydrovane/ wind steering system before so not sure about best options.

The second hand market is a bit limited so it looks like a new system.

Its a big out lay so am looking for best choice for boat.

All suggestions greatly appreciated

Cliff
 
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Hydrovane is a specific design of self steering. There are many other designs you can consider, so perhaps you should reword your request for experiences of wind vane steering rather than one specific type.
 
I think you'll find quite a bit of brand partiality here! We have a hydrovane on a 33' yacht and it's brilliant. Took a while to learn how best to set/tweak it and I'm probably still learning, but it's a wonderful bit of kit.

I like this system more than others I've seen as you can remove the vane and the rudder easily so they are not in the way when you don't need them. You're then just left with the main gear which only protrudes some 10-15cm from the stern, so it doesn't add much to your LOA.

Another plus point is that you have an (almost) instant emergency rudder if your steering fails.

Downsides: not many I can think of. It can be tricky to fit the rubber rudder; probably best done from a tender. Also, the rudder doesn't float, so it needs to be tied on securely with a spare bit of line BEFORE you attach it to the shaft.

Delighted with ours. Go for it.
 
Go to the Windpilot site, hunt around and you can find a free download book on wind steering models by various manufacturers.
It's a good book and despite being written by a manufacturer is reasonably unbiased.
Tells you the theory of how they work and will give you an excellent research starting point.
Windpilot and Hydrovane sites both have extensive photo libraries of installations and plenty of other info of how to use their models.
Our last boat I fitted a Windpilot to drive the wheel on our centre cockpit Westerly Corsair.
Our HR42 now has a Hydrovane for me to learn to use.
 
I agree with the two posters above.

I have had Hydrovane and Windpilot; both excellent. I don't think I would consider any of the competition.

Perhaps an advantage of the Windpilot is that Peter Forthmann will probably have a record, with photos, of previous Dufour 36 installations.

Plenty for you to research over the winter :)
 
I like the idea you can take the off the hydrovane when not in use. I'll spend some time looking at both suggestions.

I think the seafeather is too small for the boat, the web site shows plenty of 28' to 32' boats with them fitted.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll report back when I choose.

Cliff
 
cliffdale said:
I like the idea you can take the off the hydrovane when not in use. I'll spend some time looking at both suggestions.
Click to expand...

you can take off the Windpilot too, it's just two bolts and five minutes, it folds in two and can be stored in a normal locker.

We have a stern gantry where we hoist the dinghy, we put the windpilot and store the dinghy during longer trips, when we intend to potter for a few days in an area off the windpilot and on the dinghy

Whatever make it is, I think almost anyone is very happy with theirs, it may be difficult to make a mistake :)




picture

when you take it off, the only thing that remains attached to the boat are the two semicircular metal shapes (they could be taken off as well but it would take a bit more time), all the rest disappears
P1050341.jpg
 
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The trouble with recommendations is there are very few people who have tried different systems extensively on identical boats in identical conditions, ie being able to judge which is the better system with all other things being equal. Therefore people tend to recommend what they know. So here's what I know.

30 years ago I had a Navik on the back of a S&S 30 (similar to a Contessa 32) for tens of thousands of miles as our only form of self steering. It was faultless and apart from having to go to the transom to alter course, there was nothing to criticise about it. We never lost and connectors or had the weld break on the trim tab, or any other reported problems. All the bushings were readily available so every year I spent a couple of hours replacing the plastic bits and we were good for another 10000 miles. In particular it was easy to see how much sensitivity and power derived from the "vane to trim tab to servo pendulum" mechanism. There was no problem with the servo oar being awkward to lift, as with the vane locked by the little clip on the turret, the oar just trailed along completely upright and well behaved.

Since then I've had a Monitor on all my boats and again think it's great. It's perhaps not quite as sensitive as the Navik (as it's only vane to servo pendulum), but it's 100% reliable, 100% serviceable whilst you're away and robust as hell with no dissimilar metals or fastenings giving trouble. I have found no reason to think of anything else, especially as this one will go from boat to boat until I die.
 
Surprised that no one has yet mentioned the most important and fundamental choice you need to make before you even think of which make...Servo Pendulum or Auxiliary Rudder. Look them up on the net, lots of info available but AR (Hydrovane, Aries) are heavier and need more cumbersome mountings which makes them less easily demountable, also put lots more stress on the transom which is seldom the strongest part of the boat. The usefulness of a second rudder is, imho, rather overplayed. Finally, these things are not cheap but good ones last forever.

Other considerations; with a swim ladder and sugar scoop transom it is probably advantageous to be able to mount it off the centreline. Few can accept that. Ease of demounting is, as mentioned above, useful so weight and mounting design is important. Modern transoms can involve some hideous (and hideously complex) mounting structures. What often complicates things is a system that needs a top mount and a bottom one too - A single point mounting is usually simpler like the one pictured above.

I have a brand new Sailomat 601 that I've never used as my plans changed. It should be perfect for your boat. Look at their website, it will sell itself without my help. I can also mail you the PDF manual so you can see the whole process, chapter and verse, in fact that may be of use regardless which type you use as it goes into detail over mounts and the geometry and arrangement of the all-important line-circuits.

Feel free to PM me your e mail if more needed, happy to help'
 
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