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Windvane self-steering

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Beginner questions
Forum Discription: Advice for those who are new to sailing
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13489
Printed Date: 28 Mar 24 at 11:18am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Windvane self-steering
Posted By: OlKeat
Subject: Windvane self-steering
Date 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?




Replies:
Posted By: snowleopard
Date 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.


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One hull good, two hulls better.


Posted By: OlKeat
Date 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.


Posted By: snowleopard
Date 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.

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One hull good, two hulls better.


Posted By: OlKeat
Date Posted: 06 May 20 at 7:42am
Instructive story. It should take into account their experience Geek


Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date 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 LOL


* Admittedly more repairable than an electronic system but......


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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"


Posted By: ifoxwell
Date 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

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RS300


Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 07 May 20 at 1:01pm
Not a cheap option, but belts and braces have some appeal for long distance sailing!

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Peter
Ex Cont 707
Ex Laser 189635
DY 59



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