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Please all info about the Windpilot pacific light is it good or bad???
Windpilot pacific light
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warrior40
New member
we came across a few boats with the windpilot, whilst crossing the Pacific last season, and everyone rated them highly, esp the 'Plus' model. We had a hydrovane, which was pretty useless at steering, I don't think its rudder is big enough. I might be tempted to advise you to buy a back up substantial autopilot, mounted below deck and a back up charging system like a wind gen or a solar pannel etc. The trouble with a windvane on long passages is that you sail half the distance again, because it will not steer in a straight line, this can be no joke!
Andy
Andy
doris
Well-known member
Ist time I have heard
bad things said about wind vanes in general and the Hydrovane in particular. I have just bought a boat with a hydrovane fitted and the previous owner did a trans at circuit and is fitting one to his new boat, he was that enamoured. How well balanced was your boat under sail?
bad things said about wind vanes in general and the Hydrovane in particular. I have just bought a boat with a hydrovane fitted and the previous owner did a trans at circuit and is fitting one to his new boat, he was that enamoured. How well balanced was your boat under sail?
warrior40
New member
Re: Ist time I have heard
I think it depends on what type of boat you have got, What design is she? Mine is a Warrior 40, and quite a heavy boat although very directionally stable. I think the Hydrovane is best suited to lighter yachts, Nobody we met that had a Hydrovane bothered with thm much and rated them badly, they were all heavy boats inc a steel 46 footer. Sometimes we see one bolted on the back of some ARC hopeful in the marina and we look at eachother and think,'well it won't steer that thing..!'
Mounting the thging off centre does less for the thing aswell, even though the designer says that this is OK !!
Anyway, these are my personal opinions borne through experience and by meeting others. I know that I've read tales that some folk swear by them, Isn't that always the case...?
I think it depends on what type of boat you have got, What design is she? Mine is a Warrior 40, and quite a heavy boat although very directionally stable. I think the Hydrovane is best suited to lighter yachts, Nobody we met that had a Hydrovane bothered with thm much and rated them badly, they were all heavy boats inc a steel 46 footer. Sometimes we see one bolted on the back of some ARC hopeful in the marina and we look at eachother and think,'well it won't steer that thing..!'
Mounting the thging off centre does less for the thing aswell, even though the designer says that this is OK !!
Anyway, these are my personal opinions borne through experience and by meeting others. I know that I've read tales that some folk swear by them, Isn't that always the case...?
vyv_cox
Well-known member
No experience of the Pacific light, intended for boats less than 26 ft. We have a Pacific and it is excellent. Don't understand comments about it not steering straight, it steers better than either me, Jill or the Autohelm. Ours is now five/six years old and appears as new. No detectable wear or even tarnishing. Apparently it is by far the most popular pilot in ARC and other such cruises.
G
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Post deleted by danfoley
warrior40
New member
Out of interest, the boat I am in the process of, hopefully, buying, has a Monitor on the back, so we'll see how we do with that, although the owner has said he doesn't bother with it!
I agree that it definately a case of persevering with these windvanes, altering the vane angle and sail trim constantly to get a feel for the boat and the vane in a variety of sea and wind conditions, it just depends on wheather you enjoy fiddling with it endlessley, sat on the stern of the boat ..!
I agree that it definately a case of persevering with these windvanes, altering the vane angle and sail trim constantly to get a feel for the boat and the vane in a variety of sea and wind conditions, it just depends on wheather you enjoy fiddling with it endlessley, sat on the stern of the boat ..!
vyv_cox
Well-known member
I suspect you have inherited a false impression of them. Once set up, which takes about five to ten minutes, the Windpilot almost never needs "fiddling with endlessly". I have made several passages of 24 - 36 hours and never touched it once throughout.
G
Guest
Guest
Post deleted by danfoley
vyv_cox
Well-known member
Comparing steering systems
Regarding performance, Windpilot make claims regarding the effectiveness of many designs, based upon the power ratio of the oar and the possible pull on the tiller lines. They say that the Pacific comes out top, but then they would, wouldn't they. They also say that the Hydrovane has a very low power ratio, as it works on a different principle, but plenty of users seem to be quite happy with them.
When I bought my Windpilot I looked at many different types. By the way, if you enquire to Monitor they will send you a very interesting video and Hydrovane will send a useful 8 or 10 page booklet. My decision to buy Windpilot was based largely upon cost but also on construction. I was not too keen on the tubular steel framework of the Monitor, although I must say that the more recent mounting arrangements of the Windpilot look somewhat 19th century to my eyes. I was very impressed with the construction of the Sailomat [http://www.sailomat.com] particularly the quality of its castings but unfortunately at the time it was a lot more expensive than the Windpilot. Aries was not being produced then but even so, it is a massive piece of engineering that I doubt I would have wanted hanging off my transom.
Regarding performance, Windpilot make claims regarding the effectiveness of many designs, based upon the power ratio of the oar and the possible pull on the tiller lines. They say that the Pacific comes out top, but then they would, wouldn't they. They also say that the Hydrovane has a very low power ratio, as it works on a different principle, but plenty of users seem to be quite happy with them.
When I bought my Windpilot I looked at many different types. By the way, if you enquire to Monitor they will send you a very interesting video and Hydrovane will send a useful 8 or 10 page booklet. My decision to buy Windpilot was based largely upon cost but also on construction. I was not too keen on the tubular steel framework of the Monitor, although I must say that the more recent mounting arrangements of the Windpilot look somewhat 19th century to my eyes. I was very impressed with the construction of the Sailomat [http://www.sailomat.com] particularly the quality of its castings but unfortunately at the time it was a lot more expensive than the Windpilot. Aries was not being produced then but even so, it is a massive piece of engineering that I doubt I would have wanted hanging off my transom.
Opinionated
New member
Re: Comparing steering systems
I have Monitor fitted to mine. Wonderful, but a bit iffy dead straight downwind in a blow.
I met a guy in France who makes his own servo-pendulum w/v s/s. It was far superior to my Monitor (fitted on a 50ft dutch boat), smaller, lighter, didn't require slowing boat down to lt. 3kts to engage paddle (I know others which also don't but they suffer from other problems). The French machine really handled downwind strong conditions well, it had some features different from the M.
WP: only problem I know is what put me off them when I was in the market - a friend had another boat give him a bump in the marina, and the bracket fractured, if this happened in some foreign port, you would be stuffed. The M is made from s/s and thus can be rebent if the same happened. Of course, it is like insurance, since nothing has ever bashed into my M.
I agree that, once you have bought whatever you buy, you will never regret it - unless you can't balance your boat, cos they do require nicely balanced setup.
IMHO, of course.
I have Monitor fitted to mine. Wonderful, but a bit iffy dead straight downwind in a blow.
I met a guy in France who makes his own servo-pendulum w/v s/s. It was far superior to my Monitor (fitted on a 50ft dutch boat), smaller, lighter, didn't require slowing boat down to lt. 3kts to engage paddle (I know others which also don't but they suffer from other problems). The French machine really handled downwind strong conditions well, it had some features different from the M.
WP: only problem I know is what put me off them when I was in the market - a friend had another boat give him a bump in the marina, and the bracket fractured, if this happened in some foreign port, you would be stuffed. The M is made from s/s and thus can be rebent if the same happened. Of course, it is like insurance, since nothing has ever bashed into my M.
I agree that, once you have bought whatever you buy, you will never regret it - unless you can't balance your boat, cos they do require nicely balanced setup.
IMHO, of course.
Joe_Cole
New member
Joe_Cole
New member
FWIW they've got a better than average web site at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.windpilot.com/index.html>http://www.windpilot.com/index.html</A>
Joe
Joe
