Has anyone modified their rudder with a trim tab or added a wind vane self steering system on a barn door rudder Freedom?
On my F-33 I installed a Capehorn wind vane (and previously a Voyager). Also considered a sailomat and discussed the same arrangement them as well.
The unusual arrangement is that I ran the steering lines from the vane rudder through blocks wide on the transom and back to the rudder. So no lines going to the cockpit/wheel. Just the ends of both lines to cam cleats at the top of the transom to engage and release the vane steering control by slacking the lines to the rudder.
Thanks for your reply. Do you happen to have any photos?
I found a photo of a Freedom 33 set up on a boat with home port winchester ma on the Cape Horn site.
Looks like it works well.
mike
Clave’
1981 Freedom 28 CK CB
My pictures exceed the size this board allows so I can’t post them. One thing to note about the Cape Horn for an F-33 is that the standard Capehorn has a vertical oar. Due to the slope aft of the F-33 rudder and my desire to keep the unit close to the transom rather then have tubing 3 feet off the back they slanted the rudder shaft and used their largest oar to ensure power. I don’t recall any extra charge for the 15 degree or custom slant.
This makes the unit quite compact on the stern. I can provide more information if you get serious about the this type of arrangement directly to the rudder either by direct email or phone if you provide your contact info.
Hi everyone
I know I’m reviving an old thread, but… I am in the process of choosing a self steering system for my boat. I have a Freedom 30 cat ketch (Hoyt) with wheel steering. This means: mizzen boom overhanging the transom by over a foot, and a large barn door rudder hanging from the transom.
In consequence, options are restricted:
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Expert consensus gathered thus far (in paper, so ahead of any trials) is that any system but a servo-pendulum will not be strong enough to overcome the resistance/fiction on the steering wheel gears.
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whatever I put on the transom needs to be mounted considerably off the centre line to avoid the rudder radius. If closer to the centre line, it needs to sit so far aft as to be unreachable from the cockpit.
Seems a no-win situation and I am currently stuck. 
I would greatly appreciate input from cat ketch owners that encountered the same problem
Cheers
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
I had a Fairways freedom 35 with a Sailomat windvane mounted on a bracket about 3 feet from the transom on the centreline.This was an independent unit which had its own pendulum oar and separate steering oar and was well clear of the mizzen wishbone boom and barn door rudder.A continuous line wound around the windvane base to a small wheel on the transom allowed easy adjustment of the windvane angle.The main rudder was locked off with a rubber bungee amidships or maybe a spoke or two of helm.The bracket was about inch and a half welded aluminium tube. This steered us superbly all the way around the world over 4 years.
If you look up “freedom 35 junk rig” you will see an image of our exact boat with the gear mounted. When we sold the boat the new owner converted to Junk rig . Also there is an image of another freedom 35 'Green Flash" with an Aries gear mounted in similar fashion.
I currently sail a Freedom 44 with a Monitor gear mounted about 2 feet from the transom. This has a pendulum oar which turns the ships wheel. The rudder is Skeg mounted so isn’t as tough to turn. The Monitor gear is all stainless steel and is amazingly light and easy to remove for wintering and would easily be mounted 3 feet or more from the transom.
Best regards
Gar
Hi Gar
many thanks for your input, very valuable.
I can’t find the pictures. Can you pls send me an URL? Thanks!
Rafa
Hi Rafael,
I had a Fleming on my 39 Express which worked well once the boat was properly balanced. We had to jump over the lines that led to the wheel which shrank our cockpit a little, but wasn’t too much of a bother.
Have you looked at putting a trim tab on your main rudder? It looks to me as though that would be a much simpler system (I like simple 
) You could always add a small tiller pilot to it for those times when you have to motor.
Regards
Marno
ON my freedom 33 (sold a few years ago I went through 2 vanes. The second one was a superior arrangement and vane. It was mounted so that the lines from the vane went to blocks on the transom and directly back to the rudder. No lines to the cockpit. Worked more like a vane to tiller then to wheel which is generally better. The vane has to be of a geometry that will clear the angled outboard rudder or else a large structure or swim platform mount will be needed. I didnt want the extra weight and bulkiness. I looked mainly at the sailomat and Capehorn for theses reason and the fact they had experience with this and knew the correct angles and ratios for the correct power ratio of the lines etc for performance. I chose the Capehorn. Normally the cape horn oar does not angle aft but they made it for me so it did and used a large oar to make up for the power loss vs the vertical oar. No extra charge and gave me the exact angles for mounting the attachment point etc. I initially installed a temporary attachment that I could move to adjust the ratios but generally what they specified was the best compromise so I didnt bother with the adjustable mount in the end and just put fixed attachment point through the rudder (rod and eyebolts). Was surprised how well it worked in light air and in general. Didnt have much experience in really heat weather but maybe the new owner has and can comment. I did find with the Cape Horn over time there can be some degradation. depending on wear or friction in the mechanism but the manufacturer is ver helpful and will deal with ay issues. Note normally the Cape Horn mounts through the transom with lines directly to the rudder quadrant but with an outboard rudder this will not work. Pic without the oar on is attached. Its also possible to rig a small tiller pilot on the transom to the wind vane to use when motoring.
We have a WindPilot Pacific on our F35 CK, fitted by the PO. It works well, has lasted about 20 years and uses a vane/servo system to turn the wheel via lines running under the cockpit sole, so it doesn’t get in the way when rigged. It has taken us across the North Sea a few times, with minimal attention. It can also be set up to use a Tiller Pilot type, push-pull, electric autohelm, which is much more powerful than the wheel mounted Autohelm 4000 because of the servo-rudder.
There are pictures of it on the WindPilot website. Peter Furth still supplies parts from Germany if needed for maintenance.
Hi AlanK, Cataway.
Many thanks or your input, particularly pics! After a protracted assessment, I’ve decided to go with the Hebridean. This is a DIY job, mostly wood. I had good reviews of performance once tuned correctly; it’s light, very easy to fix if it breaks, and requires a modest bracket on the transom. It is also a fraction of the cost to that of commercial models, not counting my labour to build. Quite a carpentry job though. I just got the kit a couple of days ago and clearing out my workshop now to start the build. Will keep everyone posted on progress.
Thanks again for your comments.
Rafa
Right! here it is, at last.
This is The Hebridean (http://www.windvanesflsteering.co.uk)
I purchased the kit containing all metal pieces, licence to build, and blueprints for the timber. The timber itself I already had - Indian teak - and I built it on my (domestic) garden workshop. Build instructions are fairly clear, and it is not very difficult to build, but a good set of medium duty tools is required, as the build tolerances sometimes are less than 1 mm. I had to equip the workshop with several of such tools (mainly wood working stuff, vertical press drill, etc) specifically for this project. Lots and lots of patience and fiddling around to get it right though, particularly on the turret adjusting mechanism.
This is a servo wind vane; i.e. the vane itself picks the signal from the wind and transmits it to an oar trailing in the water. The oar picks up energy from the water flowing by it, amplifies the signal from the vane, and transmits it to a pendulum, which in turn turns the rudder through control lines.
The mounting frame supporting the vane on the transom is my own engineering, and it is not particularly elegant. In my defence, design constraints were determined by the need to accommodate the turning rudder stem within it, and the fact that it is constructed strictly with standard OTS components available over the internet.
T
he philosophy of the whole project, both vane and mounting frame, was to have something that, in case of accidental breakage, or wear-and-tear, could be replaced with ease anywhere in the world, and with minimum access to tools and/or workshop. The only components which, if broken, needs to be replaced from origin (rather than fixed) are the black plastic bits in the adjusting mechanism of the vane’s turret. Everything else can made by cutting, bending, and drilling SS sheet material.
Now, the most difficult part starts. I’ll be sea-trialling this contraption over the next few weeks. Will report progress if of interest to others
Cheers
Rafa
…one more pic of the turret vane adjusting mechanism
Very smart, Rafael! Where did you run the lines to the wheel?
Gerald
Directly to the trailing edge of the rudder. Will take more pics this w.e. if of interest.
Cheers
Rafa
There is a Freedom 28 ck still on sailboat listings ,though sold, that has a photo of their Aries vane. It was sold fairly quickly and I never tried to contact owner. https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/74012
I bought a ev100 raymarine autopilot four years ago, but have never installed it.
I really wanted a vane system.
My wife steers a great course and will stay at the wheel for hours on end. Not sure it is the least complicated choice.
I still think a trim tab system would seem to be the most effective. Some days without much wave action you can balance the rig and sail for quite a while just locking the wheel. Power required in wave action will be considerable…
VeloFellow, I purchased a EV100 system for my Cal 29 and transferred it to my F32 for it’s third summer now. It works very well on the boat once you get the tweaks right (true for any boat you add an autopilot to). Since you already paid for it you may find it very useful when you need to leave the tiller. IMO this will not interfere with a vane system should you decide to include one. I am not a Raymarine fan, but once I sent the device in for updating it’s been stellar. It was not very good out of the box, Raymarine wrote a new program for it which made all the difference. Good luck.
My 28CK has a Monitor vane that apparently worked fine for a San Diego-Hawaii-Washington voyage with the previous owner. I spent a couple hours this weekend removing a plywood storage platform that was U-bolted to the framework, and although long, the strut system seems quite stiff and sturdy. If anyone is interested in photos, I’ll be happy to take a few and post them here.
JD