Wind Vanes | Buy or build your own(DIY)?

[@kencannuck]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this information and also a look into your philosophy of living simply. I wish you and yours good health and good sailing. Please come and visit our waters on the West Coast of Canada. Here it's eye wateringly beautiful in all seasons, but cooler with much moisture in winter months.

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for the invite. I am not a cool / cold weather person, give me the tropics any day. West coast of Canada? I am in Trinidad heading to Florida.

[@ivainmartinossi7529]

Very useful to see homemade windvane and hear your thoughts. Been thinking of designing one for my boat! For now, I am in the phase of learning to balance the sails ;)

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Balancing the boat is very important.

[@Nostromosailboat]

Here it is another option: "Wind Vane Self Steering, how to plan and make your own." Bill Belcher. Thank you, your video is very helpful.

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for sharing!

[@liamstone3437]

Nice to have found your video. I too am careful with my dollars. I would like to see a bit more about your aux rudder, it's attachment and the trim tab to rudder ratio etc. As well as your bracket set-up. Thanks for making this.

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching. If you watched the second video about my setup you can see that the whole aux rudder went swimming somewhere in the Indian Ocean. I am in the process of making a whole new aux rudder. Look for a series of videos, in this playlist, showing the design and build process. Best to watch these two follow up videos: Wind vane at work 02 Seychelles to Mayotte 06

[@jimagles1394]

Very interesting and informative. I especially liked your discussion of the advantages (compensating for increased weather helm due to heeling) of the vane being hinged at the top, rather than bottom. This is an original idea not discussed by John Lechter in his book, but in speculating why Hisock's Wanderer self steered so well with no vane, he thought Wanderer's rudder was so heavy that gravity moved the rudder to leeward (tiller to windward) and compensated. Your top-hinged vane, moving the trim tab, is creating the same effect as Wanderer's heavy rudder.

[@SailingOTR]

@@jimagles1394 Remember that John wrote his thesis in the mid 1960s. This was an early time in the devolpment of windvane self steering. Having the turning axis at the top of the vane blade is a fairly recent concept, say about 20 years ago. Not sure about the reference to Hiscock's Wanderer self steering abiity. From what I remember Hiscock's Wanderer III, IV and V had varying design problems and were not very good boats for ocean sailing.

[@davidbarrett7424]

Thank you for sharing, good to see and hear, I’m inspired to experiment 👍

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching. I have designed a new windvane. It's in my head right now. It will be very simple, easy to build with handyman tools, very strong and inexpensive. I estimate less than US$100. I will make a series of vids explaining the construction process and materials needed.

[@davidbarrett7424]

@@SailingOTR I look forward to that, thanks. David, Bristol, UK.

[@kencannuck]

I'm also looking forward to that!

[@johnjordansailing]

Thanks again for making these videos. Your ingenuity and pragmatism is quite remarkable! You mentioned that your windvane only operates through 180 degrees. Would you please explain why this is? Also, if I understood correctly you have this 180 degrees range set with the limit at ~45 degrees (ie. close hauled); does that then mean that you can steer no higher than 225 degrees (ie. broad reach) on the other side?

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching. That's 180 in either direction from the zero point which is dead aft. The vane can continue to turn BUT the lines from the wind vane to the trim tab would then twist around themselves. The friction would make it very difficult for the vane to work properly.

[@johnjordansailing]

@@SailingOTR Perfect! Thanks so much. It all makes sense now. What an amazingly simple design it is.

[@SailingOTR]

@@johnjordansailing Welcome

[@johnjordansailing]

Thanks for your videos. It's exciting to consider making such a wind vane! I understand the importance of balancing the sails, but can the wind vane compensate for a following sea on the quarter that pushes the stern around and tends to cause a round up?

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching. Self-steering systems are reactionary, whether autopilot or windvane are used. There are a lot of variables to take into consideration when answering this question. Generally speaking a self steering system will eventually correct the course in time. BUT if the appearant wind direction and speed are changing a lot it can be very difficult to steer a true course. You can test this yourself with your own boat. Disconnect any self steering system. Then see if you can maintain a true course by turning the main rudder no more than 5 degrees in either direction. That is about the equivalent amount of course correction your system will make. How did it go? That's your answer. With my boat's current set up I added about 1/2 square foot to the auxiliar rudder to improve performance under those circumstances. It has yet to be tesed IRL.

[@johnjordansailing]

My apology for asking a lot of questions. I have a transom-hung rudder and hope to adapt your design to use a trim-tab on that, instead of an auxiliary rudder. The geometry is such that I will likely have to place the windvane off-center; it would need to be positioned 4-6" to starboard from the center line (it's a 7.5' beam, 19' LOA boat). Do you see any problem with this configuration?

[@SailingOTR]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Should't be a big problem. You may need to add a double block to re-direct the control lines if the angle is too severe.

[@redwood1957]

Thank you. Can't find that book on a quick search. Do you know ok any other books thank you mike

[@SailingOTR]

annas-archive.org/slow_download/06f736aeabdbfdfcc9de335c2fda09fb/0/1

[@WillN2Go1]

White PVC is not UV resistant. I've used it exposed, outside in Southern California for sprinklers and it's held up. It does get brittle. There is a UV resistant schedule #, not sure where to get it. Gray PVC for electrical conduit might be UV resistant, not sure.

[@SailingOTR]

Yes, the gray PVC electrical conduit is rated for direct exposure to sunlight. I used it many times in electrical installations,

[@MHow1900]

PVC is cheap, just keep a watch on it and replace the PVC when needed. Like everything else on a boat.