The previous owner had made some very small mistakes in the installation of an under deck autopilot using a boat shift cable to operate the vane's rudder, but making a very clean and out of the weather installation. This is not the first time I've encountered this ingenious method to steer the boat but you must not let the electronic autopilot interfere with the operation of the wind vane. During the installation a very small detail was overlooked. The two machine screws he used to mount the shift cable interfered with the rotation of the vane's wind blade, not allowing for proper travel and actually jamming the vane in place. Small mistake, but big bad results. That little mistake made the entire vane inoperable. Once we removed the screws, voila, a working wind vane.
The most common question I am asked about the Monitor Windvane is:
"How can I stop the line that adjusts the wind vane to the apparent wind?"One cure is to pull more tension on the control lines via stronger bungee cord or multiple loops of bungee cord. The instruction manual shows this clearly. I have found that excessive pull on this line just makes it harder to adjust, therefore I suggest a much easier approach.
The sheave that is on the vertical shaft leading to the chain sprocket is adjustable up and down. Make sure the adjusting lines are lead fair with no chance of chafing and as straight as possible leading to the cockpit. The Monitor Windvane is notorious for this adjusting line jumping off the sheave. Proper lead and tension is critical. There are two methods of retaining the line around the sheave. One is to mount a small fair lead that will accept both leads just forward of the adjustment sheave making the line come in contact with about 80% of the sheave diameter. This line guide will have little force on it but must be mounted securely. The other method is to run a smaller adjustment line around the sheave one complete turn then back to the cockpit and adjust it properly with a bungee cord holding tension on the line.
I have had a lot of experience with different types of vane gear. Some work better than others. For me its been the servo pendulum that has given the least problems and the best service. One must marvel at the simplicity of it once you become familiar with its workings. Rudder control lines must be as friction free as possible because of the continuous back and forth movement of the lines. Some people prefer the tail end of these lines to terminate at the end of a short section of stainless steel chain which latches into a chain hook making small adjustments and quick release possible. The chain and hook assembly is shown in the manual and most manufacturers suggest this method be used under the tiller so as not to drag across the top of the tiller when released. Alternatively, the method I prefer is to have two opposing cam cleats thru-bolted to the top of the tiller making it much simpler to make fine tuning adjustments and most importantly, a quick way to release these lines. This arrangement also keeps the tiller from lifting and is good at keeping the lines engaged while stumbling about in the cockpit.
I have often heard people naming their tillers with some pretty creative names. Among them are Attila the Hun and Jesse Helms. (Feel free to share yours) It isn't any wonder we feel obligated to give our tillers endearing names; they make great crew who don't eat, sleep or have to take breaks.
One last thought while watching this amazing piece of equipment do its thing; don't forget to keep a good look out.
Your profile is very impressive...amazing how you can see a person sitting at The Bean and never really know that person at all...lots of hidden talent inside each one of us. I'm not a sailboater but I love boats. Many situations that that you encounter can be directly applied to powerboaters ie. big problems caused by very small mistakes made during installation or by previous boatowners. We recently paid a marine mechanic mucho dinero to investigate a problem with our bow thruster...it turns out, the cause was just a loose screw deep in the belly of the boat.
ReplyDeleteAs I reread your blog a few things jumped out at me: "Simple means less goes wrong" is the reason why Bill decided to install an articulating rudder on our trawler rather than an electronic stern thruster. It's a totally manual operation. Yes, it does require a few hard turns of the wheel rather than an easy press of a button but electronics have failed on us when we have been out at sea and we decided that as long as our strength doesn't fail us here's where your "simple means less goes wrong" statement applies. Also, "don't forget to keep a good look out"...this is so essential. For example, we have seen very large pieces of wood floating in the water...something that our radar could detect but that can certainly ruin a very good day on the water not to mention do a lot of damage to our boat and possibly put our lives in jeopardy. Jesse, I look forward to your next blog and the comments of others about the boating-life that I love so much.
ReplyDeletePhyllis, thank you for your comments and visiting our site. I am sure our readers would love to hear more about your articulating rudder system and how well it has worked for you especially the difference in performance before and after. Also, your preference of manufacturers, if you have one, would be interesting and why you chose it.
ReplyDeleteCap, this is Bill. I'm going to jump in here a second to answer this. We were thinking of adding a stern thruster to our Mainship trawler, but articulating rudders were suggested as an alternative. Their appeal is in the simplicity, no electronics or power source required, and the cost saving over a stern thruster installation worked out to 25% for us. There are two principal benefits to an articulating rudder. The first is that it dramatically decreases your turning radius; especially helpful in tight areas. The other benefit is that it eases the strain on your autopilot. It allows the autopilot to make subtle, precise adjustments to hold your track.
ReplyDeleteOur rudder was fabricated by the good folks at Bayview Engineering. http://bayviewengineeringind.com/Rudders.html
Our installation was done by myself and two guys from New York Harbor Service, principally sailboat technicians who agreed to try their first articulating rudder installation. The folks at Bayview said it could be done by a couple of guys in half a day. Being unfamiliar with the process, it took three of us a full and long day. I am as happy as a clam with the results. I should add that this type of rudder is beneficial to displacement hulls; it's not going to do much for your 40mph sports-fisherman.
Ok, Jesse now it's me again. From my perspective the installation was a bit daunting particularly when the guys had to drill the new holes in the bottom of our boat after they removed the original rudder. But as Bill said, they did a super job & we are very pleased.
ReplyDeleteBill and Phyllis, thanks for taking the time to share your experience and opinions with us. That's what this is all about and your comments are much appreciated.
ReplyDelete