From: svfayaway@gmail.com
Sent: November 25, 2019
To: will@hydrovane.com; irene@hydrovane.com; john@hydrovane.com
Subject: So happy!

Good Morning from halfway between Antigua and Bermuda! Had a chance to install the unit while waiting for weather window in Bermuda. Piece of cake.

We left St Georges last Thursday on heavy (25kt) 2-3m following sea. Our electronic autopilot soon wanted a break, and stopped working. Instructions said to try on a nice day upwind. We did the opposite. Took about 5 minutes to get it working well. So far we’ve had just about all conditions and I must say this unit works very well indeed. Steers much better than us, and certainly better than the latest garmin autopilot. It’s quiet, and uses no power.

Thanks so much for getting this out to us on short notice. We are very grateful to have this well-engineered unit aboard!

one question… the vane sometimes hits the solar panels if there a sudden change to conditions. Usually an adjustment keeps this from being an issue. Is there a shorter vane we can use, or perhaps I can modify this one?

[A: If the vane makes contact with your solar at the end of its deflection it does not effect performance.  You can put a piece of rubber on the solar panel where it makes contact.  We do have the stubby vane assembly which is 12 inches shorter than the standard vane.  Perhaps you can send a photo showing the contact point and I can see if its worth switching vanes.}

thanks again!

Chris & Kelly Jacques

SV Fayaway

Photo: Beating across the Atlantic on our Wauquiez Pretorien 35

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