Has anyone had any experience using a Hydrovane windvane on a F32 or 36,38? Currently have Raymarine wheelpilot which struggles in building quartering sea’s. Thinking of combining both windvane and wheelpilot as Im heading off shore next year.
Cheers Dale Tournier
Freeform Australia.
I have a wheelpilot on my boat (ST4000, too small I know, but it was on the boat when I got it) it used to have a hard time trying to sail dead downwind in light seas, not too bad if the wind was forward of the beam in light weather. We have a servo pendulum wind vane, we wouldn’t run dead downwind because of the risk of gybing, but otherwise it was reliable (except when the paddle fell off, which we had replaced with a stronger one)
I also have a st4000 which was on the boat when I brought it. I cruise fulltime and have had enough experience with it that i cant fully relax in a quatering or following sea of any strength. My options are to upgrade to a linear drive or keep the wheeldrive and add a windvane (which im leaning towards). Both options are expensive. I cruise the east coast of Australia and dont see many windvanes so experience is limited. Im leaning towards Hydrovane as i like knowing i have a second rudder. My concern is, will it be powerful enough in a following sea so i can relax and my second concern is the weight, as like many cruisers im loadind up my stern with solar panel wind generator etc more than i like. Having a wheel pilot im assuming i cant attach a servo pendulum like Monitor?
Cheers
Dale Tournier
Freeform
Australia.
Gday Dale,
I just got back to Oz after a bit of cruising. If I keep the boat (can’t make up my mind yet whether to sell it or not now that I am home), I will put an autopilot on it because
To balance the boat, I hardly ever got to use the mizzen while the wind was aft of the beam because the mizzen was too powerful to have the boat properly balanced. If I did have the mizzen up, it would invariably have at least two reefs in it. I wasn’t comfortable running dead downwind (which I did for probably 75% of the time from England to Australia) after a couple of crash gybes, so I had to run off course probably 30 degrees or so. I think that I could have saved at least two or three days on some of the passages of three weeks or more. Saying that, it is will be nice to have the vane as a backup, and it doesn’t suck any power.
I’m in Brisbane now, so if you want to call me, my number is 0415 835 771.
Regards
Marno
Hi Marno, Im at Port Douglas at the moment and are leaving with in the week to spend some time at Lizard Island. Come Oct/Nov Im heading south and will be around Brisbane Gold Coast area Dec-March to pull the boat readying it for Asia next year. If you and your boat are still around Id love to catch up and pick your brains.
cheers Dale
Freeform
Hi Dale,
I have a Hydrovane on my F44 catketch and although I did not use it much yet in adverse conditions, I’m amazed about how well the vane steers. I did not use the vane in conjunction with my autopilot yet, but the vane can handle the boat well. Usually I use the main rudder as a trim tab only to counter weather helm, In which case the Hydrovane can steer very precise and straight. The F32 is a much lighter boat, so I guess that a Hydrovane can easily cope with it. The previous owner of the vane has an F45 sloop and he was less pleased with the Hydrovane. The F45 is much beamier and a bit heavier than the F44 so that may explain. There is another discussion on this boat with his comments. Search the board for ‘Hydrovane’ and you’ll find this thread.
Best,
you should be able to get the tiller drive unit for your wheelpilot it is about 300 pounds and fit a vane gear and use the pilot to steer through the vane. that is what im going to do
phil kusi
I have tried this and it takes a lot of fiddling to get the set up just right (e.g. had to reverse direction of heading sensor, althought this is covered in the standard TillerPilot manual). Used with a servo–pendulum system, it is very powerful (much more so than the Raymarine ST4000), and low on power consumption. It still pays to get the boat as well balanced as possible before starting it up, but it is better than the windvane in light airs or a following wind, and the only effective option if there is a lumpy sea.
Hi Dale,
I have mixed experience with hydrovane, very good in light airs on all positions and not at all useful in strong/ variable conditions off the wind no matter which sail configuration I tried. It is pleasing to hear Michel is having some success and I wonder which size rudder he is using. In my case I was set to abandon the HV in favour of a Cape Horn, but I have talked to a few people and done a lot of reading and have completely overhauled the HV upgrading it to the lastest spec with centre bearing and duraflex shaft and new bushes. Since then it has been winter and no chance to test it properly. Because of the prevailing conditions here I am hoping it will operate in reliably in heavy conditions so we can keep watch from the shelter of the pilot house.
Cheers,
I have the medium size rudder. The vane is the 2008 model.
Thanks for the replys, think Im going to give the Hydrovane a go. I like the simplicity and the fact its completely independent, I believe it compliments my current wheel pilot. Ive just been talking to a friend who has sailed is Mottle 33 from Southern Tasmania to Indonesia ( its a long way )using a hydrovane as is only form of self steering,his exact words were " its a beautiful thing I wish i had of invented it"
Cheers Dale.