Wind Vane drawings

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I am looking for drawing for diy Wind Vane self steering. There is a lot of information on the Internet and a few sketches but no comprehensive drawings to allow for home made fabrication of a wind vane.

Has anyone made a wind vane? do you have drawings?

I welcome your comments

 

[Goldie]

No drawings I'm afraid, but I did build a QME vane from drawings about 30 years ago. If offered those, I personally wouldn't bother as the completed unit was very limited in its performance.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

No drawings I'm afraid, but I did build a QME vane from drawings about 30 years ago. If offered those, I personally wouldn't bother as the completed unit was very limited in its performance.

Thanks Goldie; I have heard of a number of home made wind vanes that do not perform well

 

[TQA]

You want

The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook by Morris

GOOD DESCRIPTIONS AND LOTS OF TIPS.

IMHO anything building other than a servo pendullum is a waste of time and effort. I made one out of steel and got it galvenised and I did get it working but the fact that a I had a centre cockpit wheel steered boat made it a pain to use and my ancient Neco autopilot kept on ticking whie I owned the boat.

If I was to do another for that boat I would incorporate a second rudder into the unit. and that would allow the main steering set up to trim the boat.

 

[VicS]

I am looking for drawing for diy Wind Vane self steering. There is a lot of information on the Internet and a few sketches but no comprehensive drawings to allow for home made fabrication of a wind vane.

Has anyone made a wind vane? do you have drawings?

I welcome your comments

Drawings of all types in THIS BOOK

Not constructional drawings IIRC but more than rough sketches

 

[Rigger Mortice]

There was a pretty comprehensive article on one in PBO a few years ago.
I'll see if I can find a reference, unless someone beats me to it!

 

[electrosys]

I am looking for drawing for diy Wind Vane self steering. There is a lot of information on the Internet and a few sketches but no comprehensive drawings to allow for home made fabrication of a wind vane.

Has anyone made a wind vane? do you have drawings?

I welcome your comments

Bill Belcher's 'Wind-Vane Self-Steering' is a good read and contains numerous drawings for DIY fabrication.

The late Walt Murray also published quite a few DIY designs:
http://www.mistervee.com/?q=content/walt-murrays-website

http://cruisenews.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=62 is also worth a visit, in particular for details of the Upside-Down pendulum system which is more stable that the conventional arrangement. There are also links there for details of a system which fits directly onto the rudder-head (should you have an external rudder stock, of course).

 

[fishermantwo]

I have a Walt Murray design I built in stainless steel. Drawings are available as electrosys mentions above at the Mistervee site. Walt has passed away but his designs live on.

I would suggest you join the windvane forum at http://www.cruisenews.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=62. There you will find all the info you need. Several of the manufactures of bought units habit the site as well as enthusiast builders.

Bought units are expensive and when you build your own it soon becomes obvious why, labour is fairly intense. Mine probably cost 50 to 60 dollars in materials but lots of hours followed by testing and further mods. Its extremely satisfying and you end up with a product that steers better than any helms man.
I am now building my second one, this will be the Rolls Royce version and will incorporate what I have learnt and the best materials and I'm expecting to spend upwards of $200.

As always look to Youtube for examples.

 

[Blueboatman]

Vic S is absolutely right, there are some older and imo completely erroneous books but Djikstra's is sound on theory,practise and example.

Hope you are good with your hands.

For what it is worth I once built a relatively sophisticated ''improved'' version of an auxiliary-rudder- with-trim-tab-and-inclined-vane-axis unit and incorporated a hinged lifting mechanism into the rudder cassette....and basically at the mark 5 version it really was very good...after many hours, mostly enjoyable and sometimes headscratching, clocked up a few 1000s of miles with it too, the indefatigable "Hercule''.

If you have time and ability vs ready cash, go for it!

 

[[10753]]

You could try http://www.ayrs.org/ (Amateur Yacht Research Society). they seem to have tried every conceivable design.

 

[vyv_cox]

No drawings I think, but lots of information in a free download book here http://windpilot.com/index.html

 

[Anchorite]

DIY Windvane

Very good details in PBO 430 (October 2002): "Steer a 52 tonne yacht with a force of half an ounce". Sketches and calculations, HAV with servo pendulum system.

 

[barnaclephill]

wind vane article scans

There was a pretty comprehensive article on one in PBO a few years ago.
I'll see if I can find a reference, unless someone beats me to it!

To the Captain: I haven't built a successful one,( I gave up) and bought one, a Norvane from California. Very happy with it, but it's 20kg of stainless steel.

Relevant scans from PBO (complete articles):

1 PBO 435 March 2003: Ten pound (cost ) made from a bicycle frame & forks.

2. "Fitting a windvane" PBO475, comparison of Navik and Seafeather

3. PBO 170 Feb '81. Jan Alkema "Vane gear variations" seems like it's direct - without a paddle.

4. PBO 430 Oct '02. "Steer a 52' yacht with the force of half an ounce" design & building of a pend. servo

5. PBO 414 June '01. Jan Alkema again: "which windvanes work best?" looks like the upside down vane with a paddle.

6. PBO 481 Jan '07 Jan again: "A new way with a windvane" USD aerofoil with trimtab on outboard rudder.

7. PBO 171 March '81. Martin Guppy "Vane steering made simple" wooden mechanism similar to Walt's 20-20-20

8. PBO sometime in the past 5 years (in colour). Geoff Baker's "Let the wind do the steering" made with a steel platform, steel post to the aerofoil, plus a paddle. Normal pend-pservo.

Plus 2 or 3 articles describing how they work & comparing models - Andrew Simpson, etc.

PM or I could upload to photobucket tomorrow. But only if interested.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

No drawings I think, but lots of information in a free download book here http://windpilot.com/index.html

very useful, thanks

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

To the Captain: I haven't built a successful one,( I gave up) and bought one, a Norvane from California. Very happy with it, but it's 20kg of stainless steel.

Relevant scans from PBO (complete articles):

1 PBO 435 March 2003: Ten pound (cost ) made from a bicycle frame & forks.

2. "Fitting a windvane" PBO475, comparison of Navik and Seafeather

3. PBO 170 Feb '81. Jan Alkema "Vane gear variations" seems like it's direct - without a paddle.

4. PBO 430 Oct '02. "Steer a 52' yacht with the force of half an ounce" design & building of a pend. servo

5. PBO 414 June '01. Jan Alkema again: "which windvanes work best?" looks like the upside down vane with a paddle.

6. PBO 481 Jan '07 Jan again: "A new way with a windvane" USD aerofoil with trimtab on outboard rudder.

7. PBO 171 March '81. Martin Guppy "Vane steering made simple" wooden mechanism similar to Walt's 20-20-20

8. PBO sometime in the past 5 years (in colour). Geoff Baker's "Let the wind do the steering" made with a steel platform, steel post to the aerofoil, plus a paddle. Normal pend-pservo.

Plus 2 or 3 articles describing how they work & comparing models - Andrew Simpson, etc.

PM or I could upload to photobucket tomorrow. But only if interested.

Thanks, I will look up the PBO articles

 

[ianabc]

Brent Swain

bought Windpilot from Germany

 

[Ross D]

Bill Belcher's 'Wind-Vane Self-Steering' is a good read and contains numerous drawings for DIY fabrication.

I have just finished reading this book, it was lent to me by a friend who built his own wind vane steering years ago. However, unlike an earlier post I would recommend using an auxiliary rudder with a trim tab controlled by the wind vane, that way you get a complete independant rudder as a back up to your main rudder, and there are no control lines running into your cockpit. This is the system used by my friend for years, he finds it excellent. I did think about building a large vane only system connected to my tiller as a quick solution, however the general opinion is that they don't work.

Ross

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I have just finished reading this book, it was lent to me by a friend who built his own wind vane steering years ago. However, unlike an earlier post I would recommend using an auxiliary rudder with a trim tab controlled by the wind vane, that way you get a complete independant rudder as a back up to your main rudder, and there are no control lines running into your cockpit. This is the system used by my friend for years, he finds it excellent. I did think about building a large vane only system connected to my tiller as a quick solution, however the general opinion is that they don't work.

Ross

Hi Ross
these systems do have the advantage you say but are they prone to getting damaged?
I've also heard they restrict some rudders from going full lock in harbour ??.
S.
(A Monitor fan!)

 

[Ross D]

I haven't used one myself I am going on the recommendation of someone who built and has used theirs successfully for years. I cannot see that they would be any more prone to damage than any other transom hung rudder. I suppose yachts with transom hung rudders are designed to take them from the start so they may be more protected.

The auxiliary rudder should not affect the main rudders movement in any way if designed correctly. I suppose that in harbour the second rudder would reduce the effect that the main rudder has, however, you could always use the new transom hung rudder for manoeuvering or link them together and use a double rudder.

Ross

 

[fishermantwo]

I have just finished reading this book, it was lent to me by a friend who built his own wind vane steering years ago. However, unlike an earlier post I would recommend using an auxiliary rudder with a trim tab controlled by the wind vane, that way you get a complete independant rudder as a back up to your main rudder, and there are no control lines running into your cockpit. This is the system used by my friend for years, he finds it excellent. I did think about building a large vane only system connected to my tiller as a quick solution, however the general opinion is that they don't work.

Ross

The best windvane, whether you buy or build yourself is a horizontal mechanical servo pendulum windvane. All the others are for boats that don't sail well to start with. All boats should be able to sail all day upwind with just a piece of shockcord. Its off the wind and in particular downwind in light breezes where the windvane has its work cut out. Its here the horizontal vane{its actually 25 to 30degrees] mechanical servo pendulum can convert ounces of effort from the vane into many pounds at the tiller.
In harbour my oar is out of the water and the vane stored in the cabin. If I want to remove the whole unit its just two bolts and even though the mechanical part is SS its fairly light and I can hold it one hand while unbolting.
All the good systems are basically the same in principle and vary only in materials and bearing styles. Mine is similar to a Sea Feather but Monitors, Atoms, Bouvan, Fleming, Cape Horn, Sailomat, Neptune , Navik, Norvane, Windhelm are pretty much the same, even the ratios are now standardised after many years of refinement. The only real variation is how they convert the drive to the servo. Some use a crank, others bevel gears. Bevel gears are better, they give automatic feed back.
The missing link in Barnaclephill's list is PBO 400, April 2000. This is Geoff Bakers article on his servo unit using bevel gears. The principal is the same as all the bought ones but Geoff has constructed his unit in such a logical method that its operation is easily understood. Its also more mechanically efficient than the bought ones which sometimes sacrifice efficiency for style.
Forget old books on windvanes, join the windvane forum and "talk" directly to Jan Alkema and the other professional builders.