In "Roger Long" writes:

"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote:

There are two different issues here that I think you are mixing up.
Complexity of mechanism and complexity of installation.

Yes, the Cap Horn is complicated to install if you do it as intended but the
result is a simpler boat, cleaner appearance, and simplicity in maintenance
and operation. You can buy an outboard model and have the simple
installation.

The mechanism of the Cap Horn is elegantly simple. That's one of the things
that attracted me to it as a designer of boats and nautical things. They
have certainly proven themselves.

The installation won't be as big a deal on all boats as it was on mine. My
lazzarett was just a couple inches too big to reach the critical spots so I
had to work inside. I also could have done it in a much easier fashion but
I wanted to get the braces up and out of the way. I would rather have done
that stuff for a few days in the winter and spring than have lived with a
drum on my wheel and lines running all around the cockpit for the rest of my
sailing days.

It might be different for voyaging where you set up the self steering and
then don't go to that part of the boat for days on end. The Cape Horn makes
self steering practical in coastal waters. The ability to disconnect it in
two seconds is great. Whether I am using it or not, there is no visible
sign of it inside the cockpit coaming other than the wheel turning magically
back and forth.

Obviously you do not know Windpilot. You have the gear bolted on with
four bolts, and you can remove for winter removing two bolts, and about
the appearance in the cockpit, only two strings coming to the tiller. You
can release the tiller in a second by just pulling the chain of the
slot. If you do not use it, it is turned up and in my case it does not
go over the transom when turned up.

- Lauri Tarkkonen


--
Roger Long