In "Gordon" writes:

You're partial to Windpilot.

I made some five years of research before I bought my windvane,
initially I was interested in Aries and Monitor, but found out that
Windpilot is (at least min my case) the better choice.

Any interest (moneywise) in that company?

This is insulting. The only interest I have in the company, that I have
bought one of their pilots.

How would you mount a windpilot when there is an outboard in the middle
of the stern?

If you bother to check out their web-side you will find out that they
have a multitude of bracket arrangements, allowing for canoe sterns,
outside hanging rudders, so you can use your imagination in applying
them.

Beside studying some five years the available windvanes, I have been
following (with lesser intensity) the development of the field since the
late seventies and can say, that the big difference between say Aries,
Monitor and Windpilot is, that the maker of Aries lost faith in the
windvane and the development was stopped, Monitor picked the idea and
made it in stainles steel, but Peter Foerthman has made three different
generations of windvanes, starting from new when he had learned enough
of the previous models.

I have been in Cowes and met the makers of Aries and installed it in a
friends boat, I have met the maker of Aries (by the way he is Swedish,
and I cruise in the waters where he started sailing, so we have had long
discussions about the windvanes during while we met), I have discussed
with the developer of Windpilot many times, so I have some perspective
of the situation and the gear. One sick feature here is, that all the
wendors badmouth the competition and it seems that all of them are
scared of Windpilot. The tone of your mail suggest me, that you have
some interest in some of the companies.

By the way, read Foerthmans book, it is free in the net. I dare to
promise you, that after reading it, you have to admit that he knows his
stuff. Of course I do not expect you to admit it in public.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

Gordon
"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In .com
" writes:

I've used wind vanes on passages and agree that they are very good
things. I've even considered putting one on my catamaran which has
carried me many thousands of off shore miles. However, I believe that
the costs associated with vanes are too high compared to the benefits
on my boat. Each case will be different, but here is my thinking on
this for my boat:

Because it is different for different boats, it is perhaps necessary to
bring some other angles into this.

I. Benefits:
1) wind/water powered, works even if engine and electrical fail.

If you have a "servo-pendulum" windvane, where the boat speed is giving
the mechanical power to steer the boat is is superior to cheap
tillerpilots, as the boat speed will determine the speed and power of
rudder action, as the cheap tillerpilots have electric motor of single
speed.

2) simple can be fixed in remote locals.

Tolerates better water than electronic gears, failure rates lover. Thus
more reliable.

3) power savings allow for greater use of electronic nav aids like
RADAR.
4) silent.
5) amusing.
6) looks salty.

II. Costs:
1) very expensive compared to electronic self steering unless home
built.

Expensive compared to cheap electronics, but one should not compare the
price of a state of the art windvane to the cheapest electronic pilots.

2) Adds a lot of weight to the end of the boat reducing available
payload, increasing ptiching moment and increasing drag. Speed and
seakeeping costs are larger on total and percantage basis as boats get
lighter and faster.

Windpilot Pacific (boats from 30 to 65 feet) weights 44 lbs (20 kg), I
would not call this a lot. I am positive that in a 40 foor boat you can
not see or feel the difference in pitching.

3) Add wind and water drag. Drag increases greatly as boat velocity
increases so fast boats pay more than slow ones here, too.

Applies only for multihulls and ULDB boats, not on the majority of
cruising boats.

4) Does not function in calms.

I have not seen a sailing boat moving in calm. If you are motoring in
calm you can use the tiller pilot. If there is enough wind to move the
boat for some 3 knots, there is enough wind to steer with the Windpilot.

5) Functions poorly or even dangerously when boat speed approaches
wind speed. Again, a problem only for fast boats.

Racing multihuls and ULDB:s, not ordinary cruising boats.

6) Exposed to elements, part failures, eg oars and vanes, common.

Is not true for the good ones. I would dare to make a bet that a proper
windvane, say Windpilot, will outlast almost any electronic pilot.

Fast boats will put more strain on the gear and should expect greater
failure rates.

The same applies to electronic gear.

7) Increased dock fees based on LOA.

Not true for Windpilot Pacific. When you turn the oar up, it will be
inside the stern level. I would not recommed the windvanes with steering
rudders, as they are more vulnerable in the stern. Some makes are taking
much more space behind the boat, avoid them (Monitor, Aries etc.)

8) Complicates davit arrangements

Some of the complications can be avoided by crafty plannind.

9) May make boat more difficult to manuver esp. in reverse.

Do not buy one with own steering rudder, because it is a nuisance when
manouvering.

10) Setting and retrieving oar or rudder can be difficult.

Depends on the make. Why to buy one where this is true. In Windpilot
Pacific it is very easy, you just let it fall into the sea and you pull
it up by a piece of string.

11) Does not steer a compass course, makes DR much more diffiuclt.

I do not know why you should steer a sailboat with a windvane to a
compas course, but if you really need to do it, you can take the
smallest and cheapest autopilot, and let it steer you servo-pendulum
windvane instead of the wind. By the way, I do not see the point of
this, as the sailing boat does not sail by itself to a compas course
accurate enough for DR.

12) Look industrial.

You may keep your opinion on the looks.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

-- Tom.