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In ahoy writes:
On 23 Jul 2005 07:06:52 GMT, (Lauri Tarkkonen) wrote: In Larry writes: "Robert or Karen Swarts" wrote in : Anyone care to discuss the relative reliability of autopilots(electric/electronic) vs wind vanes for sail boats? Are wind vanes still widely used? BS Lionheart, an Amel 41' ketch, is steered with a B&G Network Pilot electro- hydraulic autopilot directly on the steering post under the aft cabin bed. Its hydraulic cylinder is attached to the rudder post bellcrank with a small ball joint, a miniature trailer hitch ball. Even if the entire steering cable system fails (it looks like a heavy outboard flexible system with dual enclosed flexcables), we can still steer the boat from the helm or from the remote control box, providing there is DC power to run it. DC power is two banks of L-16H 6V monsters. Power R' Us. The only problem we've had with it is the chinzy way B&G attaches the linear feedback sensor to the hydraulic cylinder, which comes loose eventually and must be retightened and calibrated if you're not careful. They buy this sensor from another manufacturer and don't seem to know how to attach it to their cylinder, reliably. As to operation, I have no trouble sleeping right on top of the running hydraulic pump system, which only runs when the cylinder needs moving. You can't hear it out of the aft cabin in the rest of the boat. From the center cockpit, it's as if a ghost were at the helm...(c; There are 3 modes....computer/chart plotter...or...its own compass sensor...or...B&G Network Wind instrument on top of the mainmast, which steers it on the wind like an extraordinary windvane would. All this is selected from the Pilot's panel display, same size as the other B&G Network sailing instruments in the helm's panel. It accepts NMEA0183 data very well from our computer under The Cap'n nav software, either the RAymarine RL70CRC radar/chart plotter, or the old Garmin 185 GPS/Chartplotter/Sonar or from the Yeoman paper chart plotter's waypoints under our chart table cover. As with any autopilot, when the going gets rough, it's as useless as any of them when it gets lost.....and you're left to steer by hand lock to lock trying against hell to hold her on a course....with the wind sensor spinning around crazy, the compass sensor being churned by being thrown about and all the rudder in the world unable to steer the damned boat.... You cave the best argument for the windvane. The autopilots how expensive one you ever buy, is for the fair weather. When the going gets rough, the windvane will carry you trhough. - Lauri Tarkkonen I was looking at the Monitor windvane at a dock but I couldn't see the whole thing. Does it have pully's to an inboard quadrant? Or does it just move the little paddle aft of the rudder? Thanks and keep up the good work. Monitor is a servo-pendulum type (like Windpilot, Aries and some others) windvane. The working principle is as follows: The wind tilts the vane on one side or the other when the boat is not it the right direction of the wind, the movement of the vane is only twisting the "padle" in the water and when it is tvisted the boats movement throught the water will push it to one side or anothe depending on the direction of the tilt of the wane. The padle pulls the rope that pulls the tiller (or if you have a steering wheel the rope is on a drum on the wheel and it rotates) and it is then turning the boats rudder. So the steerin is not done by the padle, it is only controlling the rudder. Next time yuo are out boatin, take a padle or an oar and pull it through the water with the side forward. It will go straight with very little movement, if you twist it a bit you will find a very strong force pulling it to the side. Imagine this fors applied to the rudder of the boat. Notice that the power needed to twist the oar or paddle is very minimal. But the power created by the paddle/oar is quite a big. - Lauri Tarkkonen |
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