From: richard blunt
Sent: December-20-10 5:09 AM
To: Will Curry
Subject: Re: SY Fleck: update, photo, and more bits please

Hi again Will.

So far as performance is concerned, the unit did indeed work right out of the box, on the middle settings, either when beating, or when running downwind so long as there is some sail on either side of the mast (I imagine that no vane gear copes well if the yankee is sometimes filling, and then collapsing behind the main).

Most of our trade wind running has been done with our small fixed staysail boomed out on one side, and the furling Yankee boomed out on the other side. In a gale we run on just the staysail, and when the wind falls light we unwind the whole yankee. The hydrovane copes with all this, although in confined waters very slight course adjustments may be required. The main remains under its cover. It is rather sedate sailing, but we are cruisers, and not racing anywhere at this time of life.

Reaching is a little bit more difficult. Getting the boat balanced is important, but our boat does of course carry different amounts of weather/lee helm, depending on the wind strength. So with major changes in wind strength we found that we were either rounding up, or testing the gybe preventer system!

We got to Australia from the UK almost entirely under twin headsails. Since then cruising has involved much more reaching, and I have got better at adjusting things. It seems to be important to fiddle with only one thing at a time, and to allow a cup of tea between each adjustment to let everything settle down! The key things are the sail trim and the course adjuster on the Hydrovane. Usually these can be fiddled so that the ships wheel is in the dead ahead position, and we are pointing where we want to go. Then we will stay on course.

It is also important not to be over canvassed, as if the boat is well heeled over balance is greatly affected by gusts and lulls.

If I find myself having to lock the wheel off centre, then I know we may be in for an unstable ride.

To be quite honest I don’t find the that adjustments on the Hydrovane (vane slope, gear ratio) make very much difference. I do however recommend that users check that they remembered to put their Hydrovane in gear before swearing at it’s lack of performance, for they are almost human, and very sensitive to this sort of abuse!

I hope these comments are helpful, I realize that they are largely a reiteration of the tips on the website, but we sailors like to find things out for ourselves, and only then to believe them! That said, I would not swap my Hydrovane for any other gear.

Richard

Contact