Self steering

  • Thread starter Thread starter G12
  • Start date Start date
helixkimara said:
So what your saying , John , is that you dress your windvane up like miss piggy.
ooooohhhkkkaayyyyyyyy. Being the only "Jester Challenger" to complete all 3 Jester challenges to date, You are a fine inspiration to budding adventurers and I'm sure MANY will follow your fine example. Mines going as Liz Hurley.
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I find at sea I suffer from hallucinations a lot, so I don't have to dress her up - that's how I see her.

I named my windpilot 'Miss Piggy' after she was the only thing that was undamaged after hitting the water during a knockdown mid Atlantic. She was operational at the time as she was steering while I was running under bare poles. I was surprised that I didn't at least break the windvane, but Miss Piggy in true Miss Piggy fashion is too robust for that.
 
"So what your saying , John , is that you dress your windvane up like miss piggy."
Jean Lacombe the French guy in the 1960 OSTAR had a bumpy pinup as wane. He sometime covered her with a Tshirt.
Eric
 
andlauer said:
"So what your saying , John , is that you dress your windvane up like miss piggy."
Jean Lacombe the French guy in the 1960 OSTAR had a bumpy pinup as wane. He sometime covered her with a Tshirt.
Eric
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MMmmm that would be great when the T shirt got a soaking. All the nuts and bolts would stick out. You French men, So inventive when it comes to the fairer sex.

Am I on the correct forum ?
 
Definitely you are in the right forum. In a non-gender world; Brits put ships as females !
I have a view on a CD without T-shirt, she is gorgeous !
Eric
PS : thanks for the compliment!
 
Catweasel said:
just a bit of FYI I had plumped for the sea-feather (quoted at £1600) but the lead time is currently mid July so bear that in mind if ordering new.

I had a quote for an Aries for £2600.
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I cant see what the others have that the Sea Feather doesn't and yet they charge nearly £1000 more.
The windpilot (not the tiny one) is about £2600 for example....... what would I be getting for my extra money? If someone can justify it then I would be very interested to hear about it.
 
G12 said:
I cant see what the others have that the Sea Feather doesn't and yet they charge nearly £1000 more.
The windpilot (not the tiny one) is about £2600 for example....... what would I be getting for my extra money? If someone can justify it then I would be very interested to hear about it.
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Doesn't look like anyone knows where the extra money goes!

I hope to arrange to see a sea feather sometime soon and have one for next year if I like the design. Will keep the forum updated.
 
Sheet to tiller options

Hi,

I crossed the Atlantic in 2009, wintered in carib and returned 2010. Before leaving I was also very concerned about the weight of a robust vane gear right aft on a light 24 footer. I was even more concerned about the cost. I made and fitted a DIY WALT from Mr Vee. It was light and relatively cheap, about the cost of a mainsail. Some systems would cost as much as my boat is worth. It did not like big waves and went into self destruct mode when in open waters.

Rather than turn back, I used a bungee to steer it to windward, stretching it across the cockpit with several turns around the tiller. It worked fine. When the wind came around on the quarter, I riggged the headsail sheet through blocks pulling the tiller to windward. That worked very well, even in light following winds, and I am sure would work on any yacht with two or more sails. I have two genoas, one new and the original 40 year old one. I set one each side on long home made poles with the sheets led to the tiller and that tracked well downwind, but other yachts may well need a different arrangement.

Further details of what worked for me can be found on my blog: http://adventuresofscallywag.wordpress.com/ and there is video evidence here: http://www.youtube.com/user/scallywagII

So to anyone considering shelling out for a vane gear, I would advise that you get some bungee, spare sheets and blocks, add some attachment points if your cockpit is short of them, and spend some quality time on the water experimenting. For anyone with a vane gear, I would suggest that you do the same so that you will not have to hand steer across an ocean when the gear fails.

Len
 
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