Want To Buy: Wind Vane

[skipperdarrel]

I am looking for a used wind vane, have a 30' sloop and would like to purchase asap. Thanks for any help! skipperdarrel

[roverhi]

Seach Craig's List in all the major sailing centers, look on Ebay, Latitude 38 want ads. A vane will turn up in probably no more than a month. Here's one in Kona that I could check out for you if you were interested. monitor windvane The monitor would be a good vane for a smaller boat as would a Cap Horn, WindPilot, and other lighter weight pendulum servo vanes.

[Triton318]

Originally Posted by roverhi

The monitor would be a good vane for a smaller boat as would a Cap Horn, WindPilot, and other lighter weight pendulum servo vanes.

While the Monitor is certainly an excellent self-steering wind vane, and well-made, I wouldn't consider it to be "light weight."

[roverhi]

I said lighter weight, not light weight. In comparison to an Aires or Sailomat they are light weight and very suitable for a smaller boat. Might look at the Fleming and Norvane as well as the one's from my first post as suitable for your boat.

[Cheechako]

I guess you've decided on a vane, but if you are only doing the Carribean or Mexico, I would seriously just use an autopilot. The cost and complication of a vane on a 30 footer may not be worth it unless you plan to circumnavigate... just sayin'....

[roverhi]

Auto Pilots are expensive because of all the things you need to go along with it. Even in a small boat with a one armed tiller pilot, they eat lots of electrons when you are sailing. That's going to take a big battery bank, running the engine constantly, and/or some other form of charging capacity. Add the spares that you'll need if you want to have some guarantee that the pilot will steer you to your next anchorage and you've probably got a lot more invested than the pilot cost in the first place. Pilots are fine but they are electrickery and it's not will it fail but when will it fail.

A properly set up vane will steer a boat if the boat will sail. You probably won't be able to carry a spinnaker dead downwind but will be able to run with poled out headsails or sail on a broad reach and surf to your hearts content. If you can work out how to fit it, you can buy the cheapest tiller pilot to give the vane steering directions. That will give you the lowest drain autopilot possible for spinnaker dead downwind sailing or when you want to steer an absolute compass heading.

I've got an autopilot but use it almost exclusively for powering. It's a wheel pilot which doesn't have the oomph to steer the boat under sail. Would have to spend at least 3 boat units to get a pilot able to handle the boat under sail and a complicated install in places I don't want to have to work. In operation, it would be an electron hog and probably require running the engine for a good part of the day.

For me, I don't need a circumnavigation to use a self steering vane, any old day sail will do. Couldn't imagine going for a sail of more than a few hours without my WindPilot Pacific Plus vane.

[Cheechako]

Just the opposite for me. Had 3 boats that had windvanes (all monitors) Used the autopilot 80-90% of the time. I always felt the winds wer too fickle to have the windvane really less trouble than balancing the boat and letting the AP do it. But then again, the longest I was offshore on a continuous voyage was 8 days. I guess that's why I mentioned circumnavigation. If you can get on a tradewind reach for a week or two the vane could be a nice thing. Then again, on 3 of my boats I was fortunate enough to have an Alpha pilot. easy on electrons and reliable as hell. Boy I went through a lot of money on Monitors, spares and inflatable dingy repairs from the dingy mashing into the sharp edges of the Monitor! I'm a bit of a pragmatist...and was just thinking.... is it worth 20-30% of your boat value to have that windvane?..... (islander 30 MKII) To each his own!

[key west]

Originally Posted by skipperdarrel

I am looking for a used wind vane, have a 30' sloop and would like to purchase asap. Thanks for any help! skipperdarrel

My heart goes out to ya. Poor guy just wants to buy and use a windvane lets help him find one. How many times have you been glad no one talked you out of something. I`ve got a Aloha 27 and I wanted a watermaker for my boat in anchored out in key west people looked down at me for being lazy and foolish with my money. To hell with them I want water I hit a switch and the wind generator and solar panels have something to divert the extra juice. So sir buy two and show them id put one on the bow just to say there! I will send a link to one I saw down here when I find it.

[Cheechako]

I dont know, I think his knowledge is enriched by these discussions. He's finding out both the good and bad from real users prior to getting one. In the end only he can decide....

[key west]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I dont know, I think his knowledge is enriched by these discussions. He's finding out both the good and bad from real users prior to getting one. In the end only he can decide....

Very true. I myself was interested in a windvane and the name droping of other manufacturers was helpfull for my future research ,I had forgotten about some of these models.

[skipperdarrel]

all the info and suggestions are welcome and appreciated. still, I need a vane as I intend some longer sails in near future.

[roverhi]

There is an Aires and a Auto Helm for sale in Seattle. I've done more than 10,000 miles with an Aires and think they are the best vane you can buy. Only problem is they are a bit heavy. Might have your girlfriend stand on the stern of your boat and see how the boat sits with that much weight aft. Don't remember how much the Aires weighs but definitely less than a typical woman.

The other vane is an Auto-Helm. The advantage of the Auto-Helm is it's an auxillary rudder system so can act as an emergency rudder. I've no experience with them and have no idea how well they work.

Another thing you might try is asking people who are selling boats with self steering if they will sell the vane separately. They'd probably be smart to do that.

The Monitor is still for sale here. Will check it out for you if you are interested.

[skipperdarrel]

the monitor in hawaii sounds ok but the shipping could get a bit rough. The one in seattle sounds like it could do, if you can email me a contact # or email address I will check it out, also I just found one in latitude 38 and will email them for info. thanks for being another set of eyes for me.

skipperdarrel skipperdarrel@gmail.com

[key west]

Originally Posted by skipperdarrel

all the info and suggestions are welcome and appreciated. still, I need a vane as I intend some longer sails in near future.

Tried to send it personal but wasnt allowed . I have tracked down an Aries windvane asking 1000$ it came off a 30 footer its here in south florida. Contact ozeancaretta@yahoo.com. good luck.

[roverhi]

MONITOR WIND VANE (OLDER)
Santa Barbara $600

Older model (can't read serial number) Scanmar/monitor wind vane that came with my boat. It worked, but I only sail locally and wanted a clear transom. Good to have if you're headed to the Baja Ha-Ha or offshore.
Email
This is an ad from the new Latitude 38 web page 'Classy Classifieds Gear Section'.

Search the Seattle Craig's List Boats for 'Self Steering' and it will turn up the two vanes listed there.