Hi all again,
I am looking at buying a second hand Fleming wind vane. There are a few around of various age and condition. Unfortunately none are available where I live, in Melbourne.
Does anyone have any advice on what to look out for on second hand wind vanes ? Would you buy one sight unseen ?
Andrew
I bought mine two boats ago from Tasmania sight unseen $1800.
It is probably undersize for my current boat, but with a little reinforcing (on the brackets) has sailed over 5000nm.
I've only recently got an autopilot for motoring so this steers for 99% of the time. I hate steering offshore.
Santana gets wild weather helm if the sails aren't trimmed right - so the fleming works hard, but I have no qualms in setting out across the Tasman with her on the helm!
There is very little to go wrong with them, and they are easily repaired. the installation is the part to get right - I had a very tricky install on a canoe stern with a transom hung rudder.
This photo shows her in marina mode (blade up).
I bought an Aries lift up model #5 for $500 off Gumtree. Its probably one of the most robust wind vanes I have ever seen and the ability to remove it from the transom in a flash is awesome. Parts for Aries are available from Europe but if too many parts are required, you could end up with an expensive rebuilt vane.
I bought a Fleming 401 off an S&S34 that had completed a circumnavigation. I bolted it to my boat and it has done a few thousand more miles on Morning Bird.
Almost impossible to wear them out and parts are readily available. I make vanes out of marine ply. They do break so I carry a half a dozen. Just make sure you varnish them as the timber will split when it gets soaked.
I paid $1800 also, seems to be common price for them second hand.
I have a TP32 tiller pilot. I use it inshore as it steers to waypoints etc so will follow a track.
The Fleming I use for offshore passages. It is easy to just let it go and only check the heading occasionally on long passages.
If you had to choose between one or the other for purely coastal work I'd get the TP32.
Reasons
It is cheaper and simpler.
With the Fleming constant wind changes create a workload.
Regular tacks and gybes require the boat to be turned to the new course and vane reset. At night it is a pain if done often.
Crew take some time to master the Fleming, the tiller pilot is much easier (still requires familiarity).
The TP uses a fair bit of power so you need good batteries and charging.
This is just for Andrew68 to show how mine is attached to the stern of my Currawong. The U shaped SS angle is bolted to one bolt one each pushpit base and a vertical rod up from where the step was. The windvane is bolted to this with two SS bolts so it can be removed quickly and easily.
You can also make your own vane, such as out of bicycle parts, or use the bevel off a hand drill like with this one. I have the rest of this and other similar articles if you like.
I have a Norvane, very similar in appearance to the Flemings being assembled in the factory photo. I have a spare hydrofoil (rudder part) as it was a replacement under warranty, but I fixed the original - the thing began to split (foam core?) but I epoxied it together.
I found the tillerpilot convenient for weekends, but the windvane was more responsive and powerful and I'd trust it more, but yeah, tacking and shorter trips were more effort. Depends on your battery power too.
I am also pretty interested in this thread. Was reading about this last night: www.windvaneselfsteering.co.uk
Unfortunately I don't have the tools but it gets quite a good rap.
that said the plans cost GBP150 and the kit is GBP350 which is quite dear.
and true to form I have blundered on this thread which would have saved me some hassles had I looked for it on Seabreeze first!
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Hebridean-Wind-Vane/
I mainly sail singlehanded and built servo pendulum gear for my 8.8 m yacht. It works well , required minimal welding , is strong , light weight (about 10kg) and can be easily removed by undoing one grub screw. It's now been on the boat for 20+ years .
www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj3j42Q05LOAhWHlZQKHTA6DGUQtwIIGjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKOIc8qCq6R8&usg=AFQjCNESLhv0q9q788ZgzAOVzzzbq-jBFQ&bvm=bv.128153897,d.dGo
Yes Ramona, I imported it about 12 years ago for a steel yacht. I economised by not importing the arms, as they'd be a second package and bulky. A local yacht rail welder man did the arms to suit.
Hi Ramona,
what ratio of the bevel gears did you use?, I see a set of Delrin gears which are 1 to 1 ratio, looking at your setup on youtube it looks to be about 2 to 1.
Bill
I've got this Navik wind vane which was working fine when I removed it from the boat. The Navik doesn't use gears, instead it uses linkages to control an aileron on the servo rudder. They are a great unit and have a pretty good break out system if the servo rudder is fowled and a simple rope quadrant to provide the movement to the tiller.
You see them for sale second hand from time to time.
I have a used navik that looks pretty new that I got for $400 , yet to fit it and test but some of the parts look fairly flimsy and hard to replace with home made bits at sea. I used a windpilot model recently that worked well and seemed strong and simple.
Do any of you have any experiences with the hydrovane type of self steering with an an auxiliary rudder? It looks like a good idea for centre cockpit wheel steer boats and I like the idea of having emergency steering immediately available if required.
The Norvane has a square socket in the bevel gear, so that you can insert a square bit of steel with a handle. I think you have to lash the vane from the side to side motion, but the provision exists. I made a socket to fit mine, but I haven't used it. It's there for a rainy day.