Problem with windvane steering.

[Vagalume]

Hello all looking for some advice on this windvane steering system which is a modified Bill Belcher system.
Looking for a good resource on the functioning and maintenance of these.
I believe it has a broken part please see attched pictures.The part broken is a stainless steel rod in picture two I think it should be attached horizontally?
Thanks for any help and advice.

[tkeithlu]

Without my being able to follow the way the system works, it appears to me in photo number 2 that the hanging arm is not broken but is not attached to the ball in the lower center. Each rood appears to have a spring-loaded clamp on the end to grasp a ball.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Vagalume

Hello all looking for some advice on this windvane steering system which is a modified Bill Belcher system.
Looking for a good resource on the functioning and maintenance of these.
I believe it has a broken part please see attched pictures.The part broken is a stainless steel rod in picture two I think it should be attached horizontally?
Thanks for any help and advice.

Yes, the broken link which is hanging down is part of a bellcrank which makes the oar rotate. I believe it connects to the little stud nearby.

Sorry I am not really familiar to these vanes but this is what I can surmise:

The wind tips the airvane which then moves the long vertical rod up or down. The bellcrank system translates vertical motion of the long upper rod into a rotational motion of the oar, and the water passing by the oar causes the oar to swing to one side or the other which pulls the steering lines. There are a lot of parts I can't identify. Too bad the book is so expensive.

[hpeer]

I have a Belcher AUX RUDDER wind vane. I suspect the above 2 posts are correct, but I can not see how the servo rudder rotates. Likely it does but maybe not.


Below are some thoughts that MAY be of help if the servo rudder does not rotate.

On MY vane system the aux rudder is turned with a trim tab in the trailing edge if the rudder. The sail tipping is translated into rotational force which twists the rudder trim tab.

I can not quite make out enough from the pictures to say what is wrong.

My other boat has an Aries, a traditional servo rudder system, and there are some substantial gears which twist the servo rudder. I am not seeing that kind of gear NOR do I clearly see how the servo rudder is rotated.

So….is it possible your servo rudder has (or had) a trim tab and that this linkage went to the trim tab?

Belcher has some neat ideas, but was capable of thinking outside the box. Perhaps eve the trim tab was on the leading edge of the servo rudder?

A better picture of the servo rudder would help.

But also confirm the the servo rudder is designed to rotate.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I have a Belcher AUX RUDDER wind vane. I suspect the above 2 posts are correct, but I can not see how the servo rudder rotates. Likely it does but maybe not.


Below are some thoughts that MAY be of help if the servo rudder does not rotate.

On MY vane system the aux rudder is turned with a trim tab in the trailing edge if the rudder. The sail tipping is translated into rotational force which twists the rudder trim tab.

I can not quite make out enough from the pictures to say what is wrong.

My other boat has an Aries, a traditional servo rudder system, and there are some substantial gears which twist the servo rudder. I am not seeing that kind of gear NOR do I clearly see how the servo rudder is rotated.

So….is it possible your servo rudder has (or had) a trim tab and that this linkage went to the trim tab?

Belcher has some neat ideas, but was capable of thinking outside the box. Perhaps eve the trim tab was on the leading edge of the servo rudder?

A better picture of the servo rudder would help.

But also confirm the the servo rudder is designed to rotate.

Yes, a trim tab would help explain some of the additional parts which appear on the leg.

[hpeer]

I just spent some more time staring at it and it is not all adding up. Clearly I am missing something.

I don’t recall clearly as I concentrated on my model but I don’t recall a servo rudder design in Belchers book. I think the book is on my boat which I just put down for winter yesterday and is 3 hours away.

[Windpilot]

Hook the linkage to that pin, move the vane, see what happens.
It looks like it would twist the oar but I cannot see in the photos how it would swing with the linkage on.

[Vagalume]

Thanks !

[Vagalume]

Yes I will the link is broken so I will try and get a repair thanks for the reply

[Vagalume]

Thanks apparently this system was made in NZ and the original owner cites Bill as the designer/builder.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Windpilot

Hook the linkage to that pin, move the vane, see what happens.
It looks like it would twist the oar but I cannot see in the photos how it would swing with the linkage on.

That is the exact issue I have. Need more photos.

[Vagalume]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QFdopDSTjX4j2L4L8
Here is a link with a few more photos,the boat is some distance away so I am unable to get more at the moment thanks so far for all the food for thought.

[hpeer]

Yeah, pretty sure there is NO trim tab.

That piece you are holding in your hand has a broken end that should snap on the pin, just as you have placed it.

I believe that rod mechanism is what twist the servo rudder ti generate the effort to turn the main rudder.

That said there is a lot going in in the pictures that is not entirely clear. So who knows.

There are other ways to make that connection or just get a new connecting piece made up at a fab shop.

[Windpilot]

All we need to know is when the rod is connected to twist the oar, can the pendulum oar swing for course correcting?
It should....

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Vagalume

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QFdopDSTjX4j2L4L8
Here is a link with a few more photos,the boat is some distance away so I am unable to get more at the moment thanks so far for all the food for thought.

OK, This one photo reveals it: The linkage (which is now disconnected) DOES rotate the oar.

You can see in the photo where the link with two bolts and the stud is pushed slightly to the left AND the oar, on the other side of the pivot, is turned slightly to the right.

We could not see this in any other photos because the cross member blocked the view of the pivot point but it is clear in this photo that the linkage from the air vane moving up and down is translated into a thwartship movement by the bell crank, and that pushes or pulls the small arm (with the two bolts and the little stud) left or right, which rotates the oar, causing it to swing, which steers the boat. And that's the house that Jack built.

To make this work the OP needs to re-attach that link and refurbish all the moving parts so that there is zero friction anywhere. Then it might work.