S4EP4//Cape Horn Windvane: Can I Fix It? No Windvane--No Voyage....//Part 1//
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- Опубліковано 24 тра 2023
- In S4EP we make final preparations for my third offshore voyage to the Virgin Islands. But first, I have to figure out what's wrong with the Cape Horn Windvane. It's not steering the boat reliably. Without it, I can't singlehand the the Far Reach on an offshore voyage. The Cape Horn Windvane has been my faithful companion for thousands of offshore miles serving as my auto pilot. It has always reliable. But something is not right.....
In the previous Season 4 episodes I shared what it took to rebuild our 36' sailboat from a complete gutted hull and deck into my ideal voyaging boat, installed a small inboard Diesel engine with a folding propeller, and made some additional improvements to the Far Reach.
Previous episodes recap:
Season 1, Episode 1, contains a short synopsis of a six year total rebuild of the Far Reach from a gutted bare hull. I also double hand the Far Reach offshore with my sister from NC to the BVI.
In Season 2, I single-hand the Far Reach from Sint Maarten back to NC.
In Season 3, I share my Single-handed voyage from NC to the BVI as well as from the VI back to NC.
To learn more about the rebuilding of the Far Reach: www.farreachvoyages.com
To read about this voyage, and many others, including additional modifications and updates to the Far Reach since her launch in 2015: www.farreachvoyages.net
For more information on the Stimson Bow Roof Shed visit bow-roof-shed.com
If you have questions or stories to share about your own voyages feel free to post them in the comment section. Happy sailing. - Спорт
i bought a secondhand cape horn, refurbished it and have had many a mile of hassle free use, your right when you say you can sit and watch in awe of the simplicity of it, though i may have a coffee or beer in hand, i ve now sanded and coated mine as noticed the same , cheers for the vid , awesome
Excellent. Glad you are having similar success with your Cape Horn vane. Thanks for commenting.
Great that you fixed the CH windvane. I too love the simple and elegant design
Thank you for another interesting and educational video.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting.
I used a Cap Horn during the east to west Atlantic crossing. I confirm we had the same issue with the Sargasses "carpets". We stopped using the windvane. Now I will try your solution. Many thanks.
Excellent. I'd be interested to hear how it works for you. Another important thing is to replace the shock cord often.
I love my Cape Horn. Its the second one I've owned. The first one came with the teak blade like yours. The one I have now came with a plastic blade, which I was disappointed about, but I understand it was probably due to cost or availability. I've thought about making one from teak and keeping the plastic one for backup. But that's way far down the list. Keep the videos coming, I always learn something new. Thanks!
Tyler. Thanks. Glad you find the videos useful.
I have never heard of a plastic servo blade for the Cape Horn. Did you buy it new or did it come with your boat? They sell replacement blades. In fact I have a spare teak servo blade. If you go to James Baldwin’s YT channel Atom Voyages he just installed a new vane. Has a teak blade. So that’s interesting….
I bought it new in 2011,? Or 2012. I’ll have to look into getting a teak one and use the plastic as a spare. I have a Hans Christian, so the teak goes well with all the other teak I have on the boat.
You mean plastic? Not fiberglass?
Yep, plastic. You can see the mold seam on it. Solid and heavy.
A great explanation on the wind vane. Thanks for the info.
Glad it was helpful!
Great, adventurous video. Thank you for sharing
About to do a delivery on a boat with the Cape Horn, thanks for the info!
Thanks for the comment Jerome. Good luck on your delivery!
I plan to use the wind vane to be the trim that drives the rudder. diy myself,Use the outboard engine throttle cable windvane to connect the trim, so that the windvane can be placed on the side of the stern. Prevent excessive rudder swing with adjustable hydraulic dampers that prevent motorcycle sway.
Trim tab driven self steering can be very effective. I have seen several of them.
Very useful thanks! I'm in the market for a WV and like the elegant simplicity of Cape Horns, but the downside, to me, is if they take a bashing you've got a three inch hole in the hull which could be a sinker...
Glad you found it useful and thanks for taking the time to comment.
The horizontal tube is glassed into the transom. It's 2.5" in diameter and is not really open on in the inside. Even if the tower got smashed and ripped off no water coming in there. Plus the hole is 18" above the waterline in the transom so unless a huge following sea, water doesn't really make contact with that tube due to the reserve buoyancy of the transom.
Everything on a boat is a compromise. Same for windvanes. For the Cape Horn it is really about giving up some space in the lazarette and it's a little more difficult to install though you don't need welded SS custom brackets. There is a CH model that does not require a hole in the transoms though.
No other windvane is as simple or elegant. But other windvanes are easier to install and can work well if suitable for the boat. Some work better on some boats and not as well on others.
I have a video coming up in about a month which explains how the CH works and you'll see more details of the installation.
Many thanks for all this useful info, I obviously have much to learn here, but CHs are sounding more and more attractive, very much looking forward to the follow up!@@FarReachVoyages
Fascinating. Have you considered using a composite like G10 for a vane blade that can't warp?
Not really. G10 is a great product but may not be the best choice for a composite blade. Super strong but heavy and very hard to work. It might flex a bit over that length but I'm not sure. G10 is quite expensive too. The teak is good I just failed to protect it. I now carry a spare too.
Sheet to tiller is better than you think. It can be a life saver when other auto pilots fail.
Yes. Sheet to tiller can work on many boats on some points of sail. But wouldn't start a long voyage with it as my primary means of steering.
ya i am coming
😆
The inventor of the Cape Horn weathervane used a junk boat at the time. I planned to use a junk boat for only one reason, because it was cheap. Although I personally prefer traditional sailboats and Bermuda sails, I also like Arabian dhows
So far as I know Yves Gelinas, inventor of the Cape Windvane, has never had a junk boat or junk rigged boat. I have read Tom Colvins book about his junk rigged boat as well as several others.
Junk rigged boats have s lot going for them.
@@FarReachVoyages maybe i remember wrong
Wow... that was an interesting one for sure, especially with wind vane steering. Maybe you can order some spare parts for the vane in case it warps while underway? Sure looks like a sweet system. You sailboat is coming together just perfectly.
Not much to break. I carry spare control lines. I also carry a spare servo blade. You know...Orcas. 😆
Love these windvane systems. -- QUESTION -- I think I understand the difference between a Hydrovane and Cape Horn wind vane, but does something like the Monitor Wind Vane work the same as the Cape Horn?
The monitor is a servo pendulum with horizontal axis air blade windvane same as Cape Horn. The working principle is exactly the same. The monitor is a very good vane with a proven reputation. A little more complicated than a CH. Much bigger footprint. Not built for specific boats like the CH. Not as elegant either. Control lines have to go over the deck. If I didn't have the CH I would probably go for a Monitor. It's a strong capable vane.