From: David Moray
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 4:05 AM
To: John Curry
Subject: Hydrovane Company

I am currently ‘on leave’ back in the UK having left my yacht (a van de Stadt 35) in Rota, Spain. I have completed three years of single-handed sailing in the Med and on the west coast of Africa with most of the work being done by an aged but still fully-functional Hydrovane unit. When I was about to embark I visited the famous “production unit” in Nottingham (to get a replacement rudder) and was a little concerned to find that the company’s future was in some doubt.

Today I came across your web-site and the excellent news that you have bought the Hydrovane company, thus ensuring the continued supply of parts.

I cannot tell you how relieved I am … not that I expect any serious trouble from ‘the old lady at the stern’ you understand, but more from the point of view that you have saved a premier product from the scrapyard. I would swear by my Hydrovane unit and have on many occasions been grateful for its simple robustness. It is quite fun to watch other blue water sailors pouring over their more flimsily-built units which have not survived the savage conditions of the atlantic! Of course, I don’t laugh – no, not at all!!

As a Scotsman I have to confess that I am only a little disturbed by the company being acquired by a Canadian cousin – I’m sure that whisky must flow in your veins for otherwise I doubt if you would have been prompted to take the action you have!

This is just a wee note of thanks – simple as that. I applaud your actions, sir!

Slainte mhar,
David de Moray
SV “Romalo”

~

From: David Moray
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 4:03 AM
To: john@hydrovane.com
Subject: RE: Hydrovane Company

Firstly, “Slainte Mhar” means “good health to you”. It is Gaelic, as you probably guessed, and is the sort of thing one would say when parting from a friend. It is also what you might say when “raising a glass” as a sort of toast.

I am sorry to hear of your ‘disability’ (preference for Irish beer) but I have many very good friends who are Irish and they hide the affliction well – in fact it does not seem to inhibit their abilities at all! I have spent many happy days sailing on the west coast of Eire and it is certainly here, in these somewhat rumbustuous waters, that the Hydrovane unit earned its spurs as far as I was concerned.

When I first picked up my boat from Silvers Marine on the Clyde my maiden voyage with her was a fairly slow, single-handed, trip down to Valentia Island and Cahersiveen to work out all her ‘blemishes’. I had never used a Hydrovane unit before and was thrilled by the ease with which it operated and how quickly I could put my absolute trust in it. Many people say that such units are like having an extra hand on-board… I would put it more strongly since I am sure we have all had experiences of extra hands who were not much use! The Hydrovane unit is an utterly reliable extra hand … I trust my life to it without fear and without hesitation.

My unit is old … as is my boat … and as am I, if the truth ever comes out! It does not have the fancy new multicoloured PVC (or whatever) wind-vane but a simply piece of carefully shaped marine-ply. This is eminently replacable wherever in the world I am, although I have only ever broken one, and I carry a spare as you might expect. Low tech is certainly best on African shores in my experience, plus you can happily paint it ridiculous colours at a whim!

I am glad to see you have ‘modernized’ the pin which secures the rudder onto the shaft – I also have a lanyard binding the handle of the rudder-blade to the hull just in case. My rudder-blade did once fall off – much to my embarassment and everyone else’s hilarity – but my safety measure prevented its loss and my consequent bankruptcy!

Yes of course you may use any of the nonsense I have written. It is the least I can to re-pay you a) for saving the company and b) for continuing to produce such a wonderful product.

In lowland Scots dialect they sometimes say “lang may yer lum reek”. Well, I don’t know about that but I do wish you all the best and also your son when he joins in the venture. If ever you see a Hydrovane unit perched on the stern of a scruffy, vaguely white-hulled, Van de Stadt 35, unashamedly displaying the most gaudy and colourful of designs on the vane, give a shout .. aye, it’ll be me, nae doot!!

Slainte mhar,
David de Moray BSc(Eng) MEd FSA(Scot)
Currently on shore-leave but soon to return to W Africa with “Romalo”.