From: Bob Carey
Sent: April 18, 2013
To: John Curry
Subject: Amazing product

Hi John,

You may not recall, but I have had numerous correspondences with you and your helpful staff over the last three years or so as I planned and began my cruise South. I have a Shannon 38 Pilothouse, Kuan Yin 1, and got assistance from you or your staff in planning the installation of a hydrovane. After I installed it with proper foot pads and steel backing plates, I realized I had made a critical error. Instead of installing it parallel to the centerline, I had gotten fixed on ensuring that it was perpendicular to the water. Don’t ask me why I did that, I can’t recall my reasoning.

Well it is perpendicular to the water alright. Unfortunately, when I did that, the boat had a list to starboard. I’m not writing you about that, however. I’m writing you about how forgiving “Wayne” the hydrovane is, and how happy I am with your amazing product.

At the moment, we are 300 nms from Hiva Oa, and Wayne has been driving since Panama, mostly downwind, and at present in light air. “He” has tolerated my stupidity and functioned day in, day out like a charm. All this, and two weeks ago we started a new sail configuration. We have poled out the Yankee to windward and have the main and stay’sl to leeward. Partly we did this because we had to haul down the 115% Genoa. The stitching on the foot and in places on the leech was coming undone, and a fellow cruiser on an SSB net suggested this sail configuration.

I’m telling you all this, because I suspect sailing a deep broad reach in, at times, lumpy seas, light air and with a sail set such as this is a real test of the Hydrovane, especially one improperly installed. I have sent you photos of the installation a couple of years ago, by the way. I don’t know if you still have access to those photos. Clearly, whatever problems I created are not affecting performance very much. The Hydrovane is so forgiving, essential and such a skoocum piece of equipment that I can’t say enough about how pleased I am to own one.

I thought you would like to know,

Bob Carey
s/v Kuan Yin 1

From: Bob Carey
Sent: April-20-13
To: Will Curry
Subject: Even with the chute

Hi Will,

I should add that Wayne’s driving right now with the cruising chute up on a broad reach with a triple reefed main. We deeply reefed the main to let the chute breathe, and barely changed the Hydrovane from it’s position with the poled out Yankee to windward etc. that I mentioned in the last e-mail. We’ve tested just about every sail combination and configuration, and despite my error, Wayne just keeps on course as well as the wind direction will allow. It’s almost too good too be true, but it certainly is reassuring and gives confidence on a long passage.

We’ll be make landfall at Hiva Oa tomorrow afternoon after 23 days from the Galapagos. Maybe we will meet up somewhere.

Fair winds,

Bob
s/v Kuan Yin 1

[Editor’s note: We did see Bob and Kuan Yin 1 – we were med moored in downtown Papeete, Tahiti, at the same time in 2013. We took this photo]