Wind direction indicator

[Barry777]

I have an Autohelm ST50 windspeed/direction indicator and the direction "tail" bit has broken off. The wind speed cups are OK and working well. Will I have to replace the whole "stick" with both speed and direction indicators or is it possible to just replace the direction indicator?

My boat is based in Chichester Harbour, so any local knowledge of where to source a replacement will be helpful.

 

[lydiamight]

Use a small allen key to slacken the grub screw that holds the wind vane onto the upper shaft, pull remains of vane off shaft. Although no longer supprted it's worth trying Raymarine to see if they still have any spare wind vanes.

 

[Topcat47]

It's also worth trying to fabricate a "sail" and epoxy it onto the remains of the vane. A bit of Balsa should do it's light and easily worked. I did this to an old B&G unit and it outlasted the transponder in the head.

 

[Richard10002]

http://www.mesltd.co.uk/raymarine-st50-masthead-service-p-915.html

If this is for real, it's amazing "value" for £20, (given Raymarine usual prices)

 

[William_H]

If you decide to make a new fin yourself. I have had a lot of success in making a "windex" . I use carbon fibre cloth (mat) cut out the shape and lay it on a piece of flat glass or similar with cling wrap to stop it sticking. Use epoxy or better polyester resin. For my windex I lay up strands of carbon in the pointer arm (both sides) to build it up to a suitable stiffness. I also pressed a piece of brass or ss tubing in between the layers to take a vertical shaft. A piece of brass from the inside of a chocolate block electrical connector has 2 locking screws if you need to clamp it to a shaft.
Fit a lump of lead to the front to balance it all.
Just a few thoughts PM me for more details olewill