Windvane self-steering

   Hello
everyone, happy holiday! What can you say about the windvane self-steering,
based on the experience of use, which is better: auxiliary rudder or
servo-pendulum?

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OlKeat Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 03 Dec 19 Location: Europe Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote OlKeat Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Windvane self-steering Posted: 25 Dec 19 at 1:41pm
	Hello everyone, happy holiday! What can you say about the windvane self-steering, based on the experience of use, which is better: auxiliary rudder or servo-pendulum?

snowleopard Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Groupie Joined: 02 Oct 17 Location: Cornwall Online Status: Offline Posts: 66	Post Options Post Reply Quote snowleopard Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 12 Feb 20 at 8:57am
	The biggest factor is the configuration of the boat. For example a Folkboat can be steered with a trim-tab on the rudder but most modern boats don't have a transom-hung rudder. Pendulum-servo gears work best with tiller steering. I had one on a wheel-steered boat and the length of the linkage made it a bit sloppy. My latest boat was equipped with an electronic autopilot which operated via a hydraulic pump. I sailed 20,000 miles with that arrangement and it never let me down, plus I could select a waypoint on the GPS, press 'Track' and know I would follow a line on the chart to within 50 metres. Personally I'd never go back to wind-and-string solutions.
	One hull good, two hulls better.

OlKeat Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 03 Dec 19 Location: Europe Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote OlKeat Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 Apr 20 at 11:39am
	I studied in more detail the features of their work, and I came to the same conclusion, it is better to put an electronic one and not have unnecessary trouble :) Thank you, your review finally convinced me of this.

snowleopard Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Groupie Joined: 02 Oct 17 Location: Cornwall Online Status: Offline Posts: 66	Post Options Post Reply Quote snowleopard Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 May 20 at 5:01pm
	Having said that. If an electronic autopilot fails, you have a serious problem. We met a couple in Bermuda who had had steered from Antigua when theirs failed. After various failed attempts to get it fixed, they recruited a couple of extra crew to get them back to Europe.
	One hull good, two hulls better.

OlKeat Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 03 Dec 19 Location: Europe Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote OlKeat Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 May 20 at 7:42am
	Instructive story. It should take into account their experience

Sam.Spoons Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 12 Location: Manchester UK Online Status: Offline Posts: 3395	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sam.Spoons Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 May 20 at 9:37am
	How repairable is a wind vane steering rig by an average cruising sailor on the open sea miles from civilisation? Not very I'd hazard. If we follow that logic we'd only cruise in 'Spray' replicas Admittedly more repairable than an electronic system but...... Edited by Sam.Spoons - 06 May 20 at 9:37am
	Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"

ifoxwell Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 05 Jan 06 Location: Hoo Online Status: Offline Posts: 669	Post Options Post Reply Quote ifoxwell Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 May 20 at 12:57pm
	I think there is a place for both. An electronic solution has a lot of obvious benefits and for the kind of sailing I do is the only one that makes sense, however if I was sailing any distance then having a system that didn't consume any power would be very appealing
	RS300

PeterG Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 818	Post Options Post Reply Quote PeterG Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 May 20 at 1:01pm
	Not a cheap option, but belts and braces have some appeal for long distance sailing!
	Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59