From: Daniel
Sent:  June 27, 2011
To: Valerie Williams
Cc: John Curry; Will Curry
Subject: Hydrovane Article on my Website

Hello Hydrovane Crew,

Just wanted you to know that I wrote an article about the installation of my new Hydrovane on my website, and you’re invited to check it out!

Thanks, and I look forward to your comments on the article!

Daniel Collins
Skipper of s/v Aletheia, a 1978 Allied Princess 36′ Ketch #115

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Excerpts from:

WHICHEVER WAY THE WIND BLOWS (ON WIND VANES AND SELF STEERING)

“…………. And some cruisers go “low tech”, using clever arrangements of lines, gears, vanes, and paddles to steer the boat using a whirlygig-like apparatus called a self-steering system, or wind vane autopilot. These range from the extremely low tech, homebuilt units costing relatively little but often required a significant amount of fine-tuning and time investment to make them work well, all the way up to the legendary wind vanes with names such as “Monitor”, “Cape Horn”, “Aries”, and “Hydrovane”.

……….. While each of the major vanes have their pros and cons, and each of them have a fanatical group of hardcore supporters, one setup in particular stood out to me as superior for a few key reasons, which I will discuss in a moment. However, this solution does NOT come inexpensively. But when I weighed the pros and cons of the options, my skill and construction resources, and the time I have available, the value of the system became very clear. So I placed a call to Hydrovane International, and boy let me tell you: these people know how to please their customers.

From the beginning I felt like this was the kind of company I was glad to be supporting with my hard earned money. They didn’t immediately try to sell me the product, but instead I got a sense of comfortable confidence in their own gear – they knew that I had all the data I already needed to make the decision, and they were there to make the process as straightforward as possible. Getting engineering plans and validation, customized assistance with each part, and even individual consideration on whether or not my solar panel arch would be an issue was something they did quickly, happily, and most importantly, accurately. They aren’t sales people who pretend to be engineers, they are engineers who also enjoy ethical sales. So a big shout to John, Will, and Valerie, who each gave valuable and thoughtful consideration to my situation in a cheerful and accurate manner. This is how a company should be run.

Then there was the issue of the product itself. After making it nearly dead simple to order the right parts, I had a lead time commitment – which they honored – and the parts came in excellent packing. All in all, hauling the 5 boxes out to my boat was a simple task. But if I had been pleased with their company to this point, I was still positively surprised when I opened the box and hefted the first components. This is a solid product where no corners were cut, and the quality is evident immediately.

The installation instructions are not only thorough, but they supply a host of anecdotal tips and warnings acquired from a few decades of past installs to help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure a smooth install. And as for the installation – it’s dead simple, once you figure out where you are going to put the thing.

…In brief, the main reasons I chose the Hydrovane were:

1. It doesn’t require lines in the cockpit running back to the wheel or tiller.
2. It’s a completely standalone system that does not depend on the main rudder functioning.
3. It’s a spare rudder as well. This was a big factor for me.
4. It has a stellar reputation and I’ve heard of many users of other vanes moving to the Hydrovane and wondering why they didn’t do it sooner. I haven’t heard a single story of someone that went the other way.
5. It has the most straightforward install for my boat as well, and involved the least amount of holes in the boat.

Generally speaking I’ve heard great wailing, swearing, and gnashing of teeth over most of the other brands, and have heard nothing but praise for the Hydrovane. And having installed mine and seen how it’s constructed, I have to say I can see why. Though nothing short of a test sail and then some nice long passages will put the proof to the question.

Overall, I absolutely recommend both this piece of gear and the company themselves, and will let you know how well the new ‘vane sails the boat before too long!”

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