How Do Wind Vane Steering Systems Work? James Explains the Magic of Self Steering.

[@Huiando]

The best explanation of the wind vane works! Thank you James.

[@Huiando]

Crystall ball moment pretty much given how you had to actually use the steering capability of the vane when your tiller broke in pretty nasty conditions right near land.

[@SailorJames]

Thanks 🙏🏻

[@tomstreet5266]

Funny, during the pandemic I had to work from home. After months of crap tv watching at lunch I found this video. I watched for a few episodes and just kind of forgot about it. Well fast forward 2.5 years and rediscovered the channel and have been hooked for the last 6 months. The only thing I know about a boat is that it should float!! The channel is about a guy and a boat but it is so much more. Its like saying a piece of chocolate cake is food and it is. But man its more then that to a starving man. Thank you!!

[@Devo491]

Many years ago, I built an auxiliary rudder self-steering which was truly amazing. It featured an over-balanced (30%) rudder, with a trim-tab. This means the rudder reacted very fast, and the trim-tab went past centre, and thus supplemented the power of the rudder. Normal rudders with trim-tab are diminished in power by the trim-tab. As does this wind vane, where the 'oar' produces a force that counters the rudder. The first time I took this out, in 5knots on the stern, it worked flawlessly and it steered my 9ton 32 footer with absolute precision, even in downwind runs in big swell. I designed the system using Dijkstra's 'Self-steering for yachts', a tiny volume that tells you all you need to know.

[@petercole6363]

Excellent presentation! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@ybtech]

That looks just like the thing bolted to the back of my new (old) boat! Thanks for the great explanation. I was a little perplexed with all the strange fittings and how beefy everything is. I do have a manual for it of some sort but I haven't dived into it just yet. Happy sailing!

[@heavensfugitive6447]

You give the best demos and breakdowns I have ever learned from! Thank you for sharing.

[@stashtrey1]

Super nice looking unit. Stout and not too much going on. Looks simple and clean. Cool that you mounted it to the wall for the video. A+

[@maxwellmcelligott]

Congrats on the New Zealand voyage! Epic.

[@jp400motox]

Thanks for sharing. I was curious about how they worked but hadn't gotten around to looking it up myself. Nice to see this on your channel.

[@mlesiecki]

Our sailomat on our Lauren 32 worked flawlessly

[@AXISMEDIATV]

Awesomesauce - I have an old Aries and I love it when its balanced perfectly- its magic you will rest solid on your trip, knowing your making gentle S curves to your destination!

[@hrothbertco4987]

Love the way you mounted it on the wall.

[@pepsiholic]

i am learning a heck of a lot from your videos. thank you

[@Dave-zy6de]

Thanks I was wondering how the system works. Nice visual lesson.

[@Creek-Critter]

James another great informative video, thank you.

[@jakeoddmonic2956]

Dang you scored 👌👌👌

[@dalechristensen6246]

Excellent demonstration. Thank you

[@williamtownsend3279]

Super cool, thanks. I never really understood it and now I do.

[@jongill7]

That model took my family and I from Florida to Indonesia trans Pacific, on a Dufour Sortilege ketch. Had one shear on the safety link one night on route to Suvarow… the only problem ever.

[@davidnelson3411]

Great video. Loved the way you put it on the wall.

[@esling77]

Ty for sharing ! Good luck in your future quests

[@IanMShooter]

Great video. Well explained. Thank you

[@UUBrahman]

Cool. Nice purchase.

[@abdulkkhan5095]

Great, dedicated sailor couple.

[@AlienX69]

Looking forward to seeing you doing an install video and the Sailomat in action .... Cheers !!

[@robertahlstrom9634]

Thanks guys really great video. Seen a bunch of vindvane videos and this is the best so far(like much of your tech stuff)

[@rimasmeleshyus9486]

Great information, many thanks

[@sailingoceandreams5267]

Bro I just got a tophat 25 mark 1, u make me need to do it your da best..

[@benkanobe7500]

It looks new!

[@atxsailor452]

Sweet score!!! I’m sure it will let you sleep easy!

[@bryrensexton4618]

👍!!!..looking forward to install video..(awesome shirt!)

[@donnakawana]

Thanks for this... I have learned so very much ! U answered all my questions an then some... Fare winds an following sea's ✌🏻💗😊❣️

[@victorimmature]

Having sailed the Pacific , what do you think of the system now ? . WOW... he spent a small fortune on that in 1979 , its great having all the manuals and history of that wind vane , its kind of like a collectors piece :)

[@SailorJames]

I only used this one to Hawaii before getting my Hydrovane. The old sailomat was a terrible design. Hydrovane is the only windvane anyone should ever own

[@Sp3ktral22]

James, I'm a big fan of your work and am fascinated by this studio space. Were you a studio photographer before you set voyage?

[@SailorJames]

I was an artist and a fabricator and my exwife was an artist

[@tonyhill5418]

Good God 4k was a serious chunk of change in 1979 considering the average car was around 6500 dollars.

[@cseguin]

Question: is it possible to run both a wind vane and a sheet-to-tiller setup at the same time? Or what that just end up screwing things up?

[@c.a.mcneil7599]

Redundancy is most important but also your experience when you had to use a drove for streering.that 3 Redundancy.

[@user-glennbob]

sweet

[@randys1889]

Beautiful piece of kit! Question: completely off topic... I'm looking for someone to help me learn basics at Mission Viejo lake with a 14' sailing dinghy rental. It will be my first time sailing but hopefully move me closer to 'real coastal sailing.. Any groups or sites I should check out? Thanks sir!

[@homeless_snowboarder8225]

What do you think is the best wind vane system?

[@tednottodd]

We are looking at a boat that has the Sailomat system. We aren’t going off shore, so if we end up purchasing the boat, I may want to get rid of it for our coastal cruising we are planning. #SVFlekk. #dumbenoughtoowntwoboats

[@JCGible]

😊

[@michaelargenta3856]

The person who invented that must of been super high as a kite. wow ... you should write a book ...

[@petethewrist]

Seems to me to be a lot iof kit and messing about, when a well trimed ship will stay on course on her own. Get you ship ballanced like we do our sail planes.

[@SailorJames]

You couldn’t be more wrong 👍🏻

[@petethewrist]

@@SailorJames sound like you can't trim a boat to me. I sleep all night while my boat travels on in her own in winds up to and beyond 20knts. Only time she fails is when wind drops and she go into a semi hove too. All I have is two jamming cleats on my tiller and two ropes. But only one at a time is used while on a tack. Simple and easy to do.

[@SailorJames]

Enjoy your fantasy world 😂😂😂😂

[@petethewrist]

@@SailorJames ha ha. Lol

[@shanep5121]

I thought you weren't so happy with it when your rudder broke from LA to Hawaii.

[@johnnyr1co695]

I'm from the future and it will fail and crush your dream!

[@jerrylynch5611]

Thats actually funny...

[@LORDOFMOTORS]

Why are these stuff so expensive? I am trying to figure out a system for my 20 ft sailboat, but no way I would spend 2k on it...

[@AlienX69]

That's a steal at $1700; check the price of a Hydrovane 10k .... James practically stole this. Cape Horn's is the one mostly accepted by cruisers, as they tend to work under all points of sail James, Don't see link in description of this Sailomat in action as mentioned in video ?

[@SailorJames]

Oh yeah sorry forgot to post the link, I have almost no service on our boat so I will try and get the link posted soon

[@SailorJames]

Build one out of wood

[@SailorJames]

@alienx69 here’s the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqbPdJ2IfsaIndE

[@AlienX69]

@@SailorJames If I understand you correctly, the 3040 does NOT connect to the boats helm. You did NOT want control lines all over the cockpit. That why I wanted to see video. Take a look at this video of a Sailomat 800 guess the sailomat's have two versions ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZioe2aIf76cj8U&ab_channel=ChristianWilliams Thanks James

[@woodpecker6452]

Why did that not help you when your rudder broke

[@SailorJames]

It did help, but wasn’t strong enough to handle the weather helm of the sails up without a drogue, if I was just motoring it would have been fine

[@alanluscombe8a553]

It’s a shame these things cost so much money

[@SailorJames]

You can build them out of wood, lots of people made their own in the 50s/60s

[@alanluscombe8a553]

@@SailorJamesoh I did not know that. I didn’t expect them to be so expensive I looked at some that were 4 to 5 grand

[@PrivateUsername]

$4k in 1979 is over $15k in 2020 dollars. Ouch.

[@c.a.mcneil7599]

I don't understand In 1979 we all had the technology and cars same... as today. You make zero sence... yesterday it was news papers today only sold to you. Others read it without paper correct?

[@alanluscombe8a553]

@@c.a.mcneil7599what???