From: Olena Boyko
Sent: June-10-09 8:33 PM
To: John Curry
Subject: Quality of Vane Cover

Greetings

This is kind of petty considering the replacement price, but I am perturbed in having to replace the nylon vane cover replacement as the original disintegrated in only 2 years (no tropics) and we sailed back from the Black Sea to the States with it duck-taped. Unit still worked fine but I am musing about sewing a new cover or re-inforcing the duck tape. It has been in storage for 10 years but now am preparing for another trans-Atlantic. Have you by chance upgraded the material?

This is the only weak spot of the whole system as even the A tubes bent only slightly in saving our stern from an ugly pier in a messy storm surge in Greece. Those tubes are great for hooking your legs around, bending back and being towed thru the sea. Also doubles great as a boarding ladder.

This is my second Hydrovane on my second cutter, steel hull, no corrosion problems after 15 years in the water. First unit was bought in Annapolis in 1974, those of the wooden vane, of which I made 2 spares with gold lettering and never had to use in 5 years of cruising(still have those as souvenirs). We figured out the need for counterweights on that early model; good thing we had extra zincs in the Atlantic.

For those bitching about the cost of the unit, get real with all the other expensive toys and trinkets put on the modern yacht. There has never been a life-raft or epirb or refrig on my boat (nothing electric on the old one) but I would never sail without a Hydrovane. I have been with you for 30 years and yes, I will replace the rudder pin.

Thanks for not letting this product die. It was an iffy situation a few years back.

Cheers

Olena Boyko