On Sat, 14 May 2005 06:04:01 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

Windvane VS AutoPilot
The Contest
Observations
Bottom Line
Test Results (in chart form)

LINK
http://members.shaw.ca/taonui/windvane.html

"On a six-month nonstop circumnavigation, I had plenty of time and
opportunity to compare the performances of the two steering systems. "

"windvane acts like a helmsman and keeps the sails performing at
maximum efficiency by following the wind as it oscillates and/or as
the boat rides up and over the waves. The autopilot tries to force a
fixed course, and the sails are inevitably luffing or overtrimmed
relative to the changing wind."

This was an article in either SAIL or Cruisng World last year. Gooch
is based in Vancouver, and is relatively well-known here.

Anyway, on passage I would favour the windvane anyway...free to run
and a better helmsman in many conditions. I wouldn't avoid having an
autopilot (I use an antique Autohelm 1000 in Lake Ontario to stay
head-to-wind and while motorsailing), but I would be selective in
using it.

R.