Thanks for the information.
Fair winds; blue water.
Rick Williams.
S/V Lorac; Baba 30 #71
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Walls & Bill Healy" <amadonlight@mac.com>
To: <baba-l@ballreich.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:08 AM
Subject: Re: [Baba-L] Auto Helm Wind Vane

> Rick
> Do you mean the Autohelm windvane steering system or the windvane
> option on an Autohelm electric autopilot?
>
> We had one of the first Autohelm windvanes invented and made by Ross
> Clunes and sailed to the South Pacific and back with it.
> That was on the first Amadon Light, a Luders 36.
>
> It sailed the boat perfectly and never failed. It was Ross's idea
> that we couple a small Tillermaster autopilot to it - it was the first
> time that was done on any vane steering. It was the only electric
> pilot on that boat. That, too, worked perfectly, and used a fraction
> of the battery power of any other autopilot.That was because it took
> just finger pressure to move the trim-tab for course corrections.
> We sailed from California to the South Pacific and back and never
> steered at sea.
>
> The positives, in addition to perfect course-keeping, included, no
> lines in the cockpit. You lock the main steering and the auxiliary
> rudder
> does the work. It is instantly and easily reefed for differing wind
> strengths by adjusting the wind paddle. Also, it is a complete second
> steering
> system, should there be any failure in the boat's system.
>
> There were two negatives. The auxiliary rudder/trim-tab was always in
> the water and needed antifouling and cleaning at intervals, like the
> hull. And,
> backing the boat was more difficult, again, because the rudder was in
> the water and moved from side to side. The only way to secure the
> rudder on
> the center was by securing two lines from the auxiliary rudder to the
> stern-quarters. And, that left it a bit sloppy, affecting the
> direction of the backing
> boat. If you have a better way to fix it in the center, it would
> remove that negative point.
>
> Because of these two issues we opted for a different vane on the
> current Amadon Light - a Fleming. The trade-offs are: with the
> Fleming, lines to the wheel,
> and the boat's steering system is always operating, so no backup
> system. The Fleming is now 22 years old, has been around the world,
> has never been repaired,
> and has never failed. We have again coupled a small Robertson tiller-
> pilot to it, as a backup for the main autopilot, and it, too, works
> perfectly.
>
> The laziness factor definitely enters into the equation. On the first
> boat all steering at sea was done by the Autohelm vane. On this boat
> it is too easy to switch
> on the pilot and let it do what the Fleming would do if we would take
> the few minutes to set it up and adjust it and the sails for the
> conditions.
> However, I have never met a circuit board that is as reliable as a
> self-steering vane.
>
> Both vanes have done the job as advertised.
>
> Bill Healy
> Amadon Light
> Scarborough, Australia
>
>
>
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Received on Tue Jul 18 07:04:53 2006