Users of WIndpilot Pacific wind vane : comments?

[macd]

I was shipmates on an S&S Swan 40 fitted with a Windpilot. It wasn't bad provided the wind was at least 10kts and hull speed 4kts. It's inability to work in the lightstuff earned it the nickname of 'The sulky Hun'. The poor light weather performance is probably down to the fact it has simple bushes rather than ball bearings like the Monitor. In any event The Windpilot was brilliant compared to the POS Hydrovane that my current boat has.

That's certainly not my experience, which is that if there's enough wind to sail, there's enough for the Windpilot to operate. Obviously it's crucial that there's no binding in the systen, but equally that it's installed absolutely correctly. The angle of installation of the gear is particularly important...I've helped a couple of fellow Windpilot owners tweak there's in this respect, to good effect. The small sail-cloth 'tell-tales' on the vane also contribute significantly to light airs performance.

Incidentally 'the sulky Hun' is something of a misnomer: the design is British. Mine was called 'Jeeves'

 

[Gargleblaster]

Incidentally 'the sulky Hun' is something of a misnomer: the design is British. Mine was called 'Jeeves'

My first one is called 'Miss Piggy' because she packed a hell of a wallop when the tiller hit you in the leg. My second one is called 'Amazing Grace' because she 'saved a reach for me'.

 

[Independence]

I'm also a great fan of Windpilots having used the Pacific Light and Pacific models.

Peter also offers outstanding service in my opinion and goes to particular trouble in making sure you have set it up correctly and that it works as well as he designed it.

 

[elenya]

Hi
I have used a WindPilot Pacific for about 23 years. Have covered about 150,000 miles in that time. The gear has been fitted to our 26' Warsash One Design for its voyage from UK to NZ, our 32 Hartley for South Pacific and our current Saga Saltram 40 for North and South Pacific and sub Antarctics. A wide variety of vessel types and sailing conditions.

The gear is excellent in both strong and light winds. In light winds it is important (in my opinion) to ensure the wind sensing vane is balanced well and has a streamer from its top end to help it catch the wind. Balance of the vessels and sails is always important. In general I would say if the gear isn't working then the operator is doing something "wrong". The "wrong" may be not balancing the sails, over pressing the vessel, not maintaining the windpilot properly or has expectations of a wind steering system that is pre-emptive rather than reactive.

Being a very simple design it is easy to see and understand what is going on with it. The ruggedness of construction is supreme and our only breakages have been when the gear has been hit by other vessels at speed. Service from Peter has been excellent and amazingly fast. On three separate occasions I have been hit by other vessels when berthed. Each occasion needed spare parts of some kind (we are talking a 5 knot collision not a gentle tap). Peter got these spares to me within days in the various parts of the world I was in. Great gear, great service.

I have sailed with Monitor, Aries, Plastimo Navik and Hydrovane. I personally find WindPilot the best all round.

enjoy the sailing

 

[Boo2]

...I have sailed with Monitor, Aries, Plastimo Navik and Hydrovane. I personally find WindPilot the best all round.

You wouldn't care to give us the benefit of your experience in the form of a brief rundown of the pros and cons of the different types would you ? Sorry to ask but it would be very interesting to see the opinions of someone who has actually used the different types.

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[Sea Devil]

You wouldn't care to give us the benefit of your experience in the form of a brief rundown of the pros and cons of the different types would you ? Sorry to ask but it would be very interesting to see the opinions of someone who has actually used the different types.

Thanks,

Boo2

I started with an 'Aeries' and found it needed a fair bit of wind to make it work properly and I was constantly greasing the mechanism

ON the next boat (40 ft steel ketch) I installed a new WindPilot and got on well with it - after a couple of years the plastic separators became swollen and the guy at Windpilot replaced them all FOC.

On the next boat - Moody 36 I installed a new Hydrovane and found it was even better than the Windpilot - it took me round the world without any failures except the material on the vane rotting in the sun so I had a few made in a sail loft for £10 with nice colours.

The big advantage of the Windpilot is that the 'rudder' folds up easily - it is a bigger issue to remove the Hydrovane rudder but I am about to install a new Hydrovane in Paw Paw rather than a Windpilot...

michael

 

[elenya]

Hi Boo2

Certainly. As always on the forum purely my opinions and thoughts.

Navik: Had this on the 26' WOD to start with. Great gear and realy quite a good system of getting good power from a small upper part (i.e. servo assisted pendulum). Links/ universal joints were plastic and prone to breakage. They were difficult to jury rig (simply carry more spares). The quick release on the water blade released when I hit about 6 knots, and involved leaning over the back of the boat to reset.. Water blade could not be permanently rigged clear of water with out removing it from the mounting (which involved leaning over the side). Overall a good cheap gear for small boats where weight is a problem and you don't mind leaning over the side. The overall strength of the unit was "lite".

Hydro vane: The gear was complicated to jury if ever needed (I never needed to though) less sensitive than servo pendulum gear and needed an even better balanced vessel. Sleek and simple with minimal exposed parts. Overall just not as quick to respond as other gears. Great to have the additional rudder and remove wer and tear from main rudder bearings.

Aries: Simple gear but quite a lot of frame work and possible bits to get damaged. Steered well. safety device on water blade involved snapping a sacrificial tube which then required leaning over the side to replace. Had built in rope sheaves which required a bit more maintaining than a block as the aluminum/stainless interface caused some dry corrosion.

Monitor. Smart and similarin some ways to Aries. Worked well, lots of frame work, and not easiest to reset tripped water blade.

Overall I like the windpilot although I would love to get the next model up with own rudder.....dreams.... Overall reasons are I remain inside the guardrails at all times, can set and rest the gear easily, robust and simple castings and controls, excellent service and build quality.

cheers


cheers

 

[Wansworth]

My opinion from just one vane gear, an old haslar is there is a need fro a substantial protection in the from of a wrap round tube ,bar to ward off other boats and quays which easily damage the fairly delicate wv

 

[Poignard]

My opinion from just one vane gear, an old haslar is there is a need fro a substantial protection in the from of a wrap round tube ,bar to ward off other boats and quays which easily damage the fairly delicate wv

The Monitor has that. I have been glad of it on two occasions when people have accidentally run into me. Probably more than two but those happened whilst I was on board.

 

[vyv_cox]

The Monitor has that. I have been glad of it on two occasions when people have accidentally run into me. Probably more than two but those happened whilst I was on board.

Yes, the Windpilot is quite vulnerable. Mine was damaged when a lunatic mobo driver hit it reversing into his berth at high speed in Corsica. He and his wife then had the nerve to offer me half the repair cost because the Windpilot had been used!

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

The Monitor has that. I have been glad of it on two occasions when people have accidentally run into me. Probably more than two but those happened whilst I was on board.

ditto
My Monitor ...... with its beautiful shiny stainless scaffolding, .... has fended off several idiots who have ventured too close when mooring.

S.

 

[dulls]

I am pretty sure that the wind vane you have is a good one regardless of make. I dont think there are many bad ones out there. The only one that does not convince me is the Hydrovane, I have never used one though. My experience is an Aries no 5 and a Norwegian one called i think a servopilot or similar.

 

[[3889]]

Good thread. I'm inspired to retrieve my WP from the back cabin of my Ovni, where it has languished since I bought the boat, and give it a go. Looks complicated but if some of the posters above use it successfully.....?

 

[dulls]

Good thread. I'm inspired to retrieve my WP from the back cabin of my Ovni, where it has languished since I bought the boat, and give it a go. Looks complicated but if some of the posters above use it successfully.....?

On my boat the wind vane was the most important bit of gear on my boat after say the gps. Not that i cant navigate but just that both machines make sailing far more relaxing.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I am pretty sure that the wind vane you have is a good one regardless of make. I dont think there are many bad ones out there. The only one that does not convince me is the Hydrovane, I have never used one though. My experience is an Aries no 5 and a Norwegian one called i think a servopilot or similar.

I have a Monitor as/ my post earlier.
If I had my chance to do a straight swap with a Hydrovane, I would. I have never heard a bad word said about them from many top ocean sailors.

 

[Sea Devil]

I have a Monitor as/ my post earlier.
If I had my chance to do a straight swap with a Hydrovane, I would. I have never heard a bad word said about them from many top ocean sailors.

They are expensive but probably the best designed of them all. I have had an Aeries and a Windpilot and the Hydrovane out performed them all. Mine took me round the world and after the 30 odd thousand mile a couple of the stainless pins needed replacing due to wear but that was all.

On the other hand if you are looking at shorter trips of only a few days then other self steering gear is fine in my opinion... but if you are transatlantic/Pacific then I would spend the extra and get a Hydrovane... The fact it is totally independent of the 'main' steering wheel/tiller is its big big plus... You can lock the Hydrovane rudder when its not in use so there is no need to remove it when not using it for a short time or drop it off and stow it on the guard rail for longer periods of non use... The windier it gets the better it works!

 

[michael_w]

I'd swap of my Hydrovane for a Monitor tomorrow!

 

[Sea Devil]

What year is your Hydrovane and how much do you want for it?

 

[michael_w]

It's not for sale on its own as I'm contemplating selling the boat to which it is attached.

 

[Sea Devil]

That´s a shame - for me... Good luck with the sale!