Wind vane reference arms- what angle??

[sparkie]

Hello all, just bought a new wind vane for the masthead, the reference arms don't lock in position like the old (long-gone) ones did. Any suggestions as to what angle I should set them to? If I recall, the old ones were at about 90 degrees to one another. I intend to glue them after tightening the fixing screws so don't want to be too far out.

Cheers

Sparkie

 

[sailorman]

the position all depends the angle your boat can achieve sailing to windward,
mine are a tad under 30 Deg either side on the centre line

 

[sparkie]

Yes I guess that's why these new ones are loose, so that they can be infinitely adjusted. However, don't want to spend all season getting the mast up and down to get them just right, approx will do to act as a reference. 30 deg sounds like a close winded boat, mine's likely to be greater.

Thanks sailorman

Sparkie

 

[Poignard]

Windex. Settings for the arms, as advised on carton:
60 deg - normal ocean racers. 55 deg - boats with extremely good windward performance. 65 deg for auxiliaries etc.

 

[sparkie]

Thanks for that, 65-70 deg would perhaps be more like it for me. Perhaps even a bit more. She doesn't point all that well...... I think we're getting there!

Cheers

 

[Salty John]

I'd set them up at 90 degrees, then you have a known reference. They can only ever be a rough guide and you'll get to know how it should look in different conditions on your particular boat.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Don't worry about it too much, they'll move!

 

[sparkie]

Yes I think the old ones were about that. Wish I'd kept the remains now for a guide.

 

[sparkie]

Hello Twister, yes that's why I intend to glue them.......

 

[Searush]

Then a seagull lands on them & they snap off!

 

[VicS]

I'd go with Salty John's suggestion or perhaps just a little closer. Mine for a bilge keeler are set at 90. Yours wont be worse than that for sure. On the other hand 65 or 70 is a bit optimistic I would think.

The most difficult thing I find is getting both arms at the same angle.

Mine was supplied with a couple of spacers that could be used for smaller angles but not for such wide angles.

How about 80 but tweak them next year if necessary and glue them only when you have them set "correctly".

 

[Conachair]

Mine snapped off ages ago. Sorry, slight thread drift but is the apparent wind different at deck level than it is at the top of mast? I ask as the only real reference I have is from aries wind vane. Can get 42deg up to about 20Kn then have to bear away to 48deg. Thats offshore into swell, long keel cutter. Makes no difference in the real world but maybe at top of mast the increased wind speed would bring the apparent wind forward and I could think I'm sailing closer to the wind than I am at the moment /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[sparkie]

Yes I think I'll settle for 80 deg. Try out next season and adjust if necessary before glueing. Interesting point about the apparent wind, I think you may have something there. Always seemed to me (when I had indicators) that I was sailing more close winded than I actually was on the ground as it were.

Thanks for all replies and advice.

Sparkie

 

[Spyro]

It wont really matter, most important is to get them equal distance from the centre line both sides. you will find that you get to know wether you should be sailing with the direction arrow just inside or just outside or right on top of the arms when close hauled.