True Stories

From: Bill & Tracy Hudson
Sent:  July 11, 2013
To: John Curry
Subject: Broken pin.

Well, we’re now in the Philippines after another downwind trip from Palau. Our Hydrovane is still the best piece of equipment on board. OK, so we did have a problem. During our trip to Palau, we snapped the pin that holds our rudder to the shaft. I guess, two weeks of 30-35 knot winds and 20 foot plus seas during the trip from Tuvalu were too much and it finally snapped. Can’t say I blame it. Luckily, we’d ready your instruction manual that the rudder would sink if it came loose, we’d not only tied it to the boat but we also whipped the end of the line back on itself so there was no chance of it coming loose. I grabbed one of the spare pins that you sent us and climbed down the ladder and with a bit of luck, got the rudder back on the shaft as Zephyr was rolling in the swells and put in the new pin. Simple and easy and off we went again. OK, so I was wearing a life jacket and did have a safety tether to the boat but hey, I’m not stupid. Sure am glad you sent us the pins.

Now we know that our Hydrovane is built tough but it took the strain that the boat couldn’t. With the wind and seas we had, it slowly started tearing itself off the stern of the boat. Over the years, water had gotten inside the stern fiberglass and had slowly rotted out what would the builders had installed there. With all the pressure, it started moving back and forth in the bolt holes. BUT, he still kept on doing his job. While in Pohnpei, we had the stern torn up and new fiberglass installed. He’s now on rock solid.

One question–on the body of the Hydrovane is the adjustment knob to set it up in position 1, 2 or 3. Where that knob goes through and into the frame, there is a space between the bolt and where it bolts on to the spring unit and the main body. Is there supposed to be that space? I can tighten it up but it sure appears to be tight. Second question, there appears to be a bit of looseness between the top (wind vane) and the rudder. I can grip the wind vane and it will move a bit even when both of the pins to lock up the unit are in place. Does this mean that the fittings are coming loose or again, is it supposed to be that way? We just want to make sure he keeps doing what he has been doing so well for the last 4 years and 16,000 miles (at least).

Just keep making them the way our is and you can never go wrong. I take every chance I can to tell people about it and how good it is.

Bill Hudson

SV Zephyr.

From: Andrew Herwig
Sent: June 30, 2013
To: John Curry
Subject: Sea trial of new rudder and larger windvane

Hi John,
It has been awhile since we communicated and also since i last sailed my boat. I layed up the vessel in Bundaberg Queensland in 2011 with the intention of sailing again in 2012 but work and other committments got in the way. Anyway I have just finished a passage from Australia to Fiji (about 1800nm) with the new rudder and the larger windvane I made up using the new bracket you supplied so I thought I would drop a line and let you know how it went.

The passage saw quite varying conditions from light following winds to 25 knot close reaching in seas that were generally moderate, although the close reaching saw quite lumpy seas particularly between the Fijian islands largely due to current against wind etc. In short the performance of the Hydrovane was exemplary. The larger windvane allowed course keeping that was much more tolerant of imperfect trim as I had the power to use all 3 settings although I used position 2 about 95% of the time as this allowed enough rudder to keep a very good course. The light downwind angle was also much improved as 4 knots apparent wind allowed a good course with the vessel doing about 4-5 knots. I haven’t increased the lead counterweight and didn’t find this an issue but I imagine balancing the larger windvane would help in even lighter conditions. The self steering was really a non issue as it simply worked faultlessly as long as I had enough apparent wind which was 95% on the voyage. I hardly had to think about sail trim and balancing as the extra power made all the difference. Certainly a contrast to my older Hydrovane on a S&S 39 and my dramas earlier with the overbalanced rudder and smaller standard windvane.

The dimensions of the larger windvane are 1.9m overall length including the bracket (to fit on a bunk) with a width of 0.39m near the bracket tapering to 0.35m at the top. I have attached a couple of photos that demonstrates the comparative size of the standard and larger windvane. I also attach a photo of the installation which I have been meaning to send for awhile. I was very pleased with the outcome as I think it looks quite neat and allows utilization of most of the stern steps and platform. This and the fact it is an emergency rudder was my main reason for choosing Hydrovane again.

As I have elluded to previously, I really think you should consider offering a larger windvane by simply enlarging the standard windvane construction. This would make the unit much more suitable to bigger and faster yachts and you could do it tomorrow. It would also be much more forgiving of handling than a moulded type of foil. My 2c worth.

[Editor’s note: Since 2015, out XT ‘Extendable’ Vane does just that – allows for more surface area up higher. A great choice for larger, faster boats] 

BTW. I am amazed how many Hydrovanes I am seeing of sterns of yachts lately. I think it is the most common windvane I am seeing in this anchorage (Savu Savu) Fiji and Bundaberg Queensland.

Regards

Andrew Herwig
S/V Spice
Fremantle Australia

From: Paul Stevens
Sent: June 11, 2013
To: Will Curry; John Curry
Subject: RE: Easiest and luckiest ever installation?

Hi all,

Fitted this in December and have just completed first trip from Lowestoft to Penzance. I’m 60 and have been sailing since I was 5, so I know what I like.

This is undoubtedly the best piece of kit I’ve had on any boat ever. It replaced a much older servo pendulum gear and is just amazing in the band of wind and sea conditions it covers. In particular its ability to steer safely on a dead run even when surfing is incredible, as is its light weather performance. I kept thinking, it just can’t be this good.

I also dislike having to faff about with things on boats. With the Hydrovane I haven’t had to try any of the settings, van angle etc., just engage and sit back.

So thanks a million it’s the best money I ever spent.

Cheers from sunny Penzance.

Paul S

From: darryl laurin
Sent: May-10-13 12:23 AM
To: Will Curry
Subject: Re: Hydrovane Covers

Hi Will,

I purchased my Hydrovane in 2009. I have since sailed my Beneteau First 47.7 from Gibraltar to Istanbul, (and many places in the Med of course) and then from Turkey to the Caribbean. About 90% of that has been solo or with non-sailors. I have relied hugely on my Vane both as the principal pilot to windward and as a back-up rudder should I have the miss fortune to loose my rudder. It has served me very well and I recommend it highly. I have had excellent support from the team at Hydrovane. Next year I shall be enter the Pacific heading west.

You are welcome to add those comments to your site. I wore out my Hydrovane T-Shirt long ago. But I used to get a lot of laughs from it as well.

Good to hear that you are in the Pacific. Perhaps I shall see you out there.

Darryl

From: William Ennis
Sent: April-23-13 3:20 PM
To: Will and Sarah on Hydroquest
Subject: Email

Our friends,

Great to see you both today! Great tats and I think that I’ll get one, perhaps from the same guy. I’ve considered this for a while.

We have been sailing since we bought our first boat in Alaska, over twenty years ago. We bought our Wings, a 1983 Passport 40, and sailed her in Alaska for twelve years, then went cruising. We installed our Hydrovane in 2010 and it’s been providing steering services all the way from Alaska to the Sea of Cortez, now across the Pacific to Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia. Regardless of sea or wind conditions, the Hydrovane keeps us on track. Whether it’s 5 knots or 50 knots of apparent wind, reaching or running, cross seas or following seas, the Hydrovane compensates quickly and without complaint or energy. In this recent Pacific crossing, the Hydrovane kept us on course (relative to the wind, of course) for several days at a time, requiring no tweaking or attention at all. If you can balance your boat and twist a dial, you can successfully operate a Hydrovane. Don’t leave home without one!

Bill Ennis, Conni Livsey

S/V Wings

[Editor’s note: Bill and Conni made landfall in Nuku Hiva around the same time we did. We took this great photo of Bill kissing the Hydrovane. Yes, we were freshly tattoo’ed!]

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]

From: Kevin Leary
Sent: March 28, 2013
To: John Curry
Cc: ‘Will Curry’; ‘Valerie Williams’
Subject: Re: It works!

Hello All,

It has been some time since we last communicated over three years ago. Since then, the Hydrovane has been wonderful. It steered my Kelly Peterson 46 across the Atlantic from the Caribbean to Ireland where I have been mostly cruising since. It also served beautifully during last summer’s circumnavigation of Ireland via the Scottish Hebrides.

This summer we hope to sail from Ireland to the Faroe Islands and possibly Iceland. I have no doubt the Hydrovane will serve as wonderfully as before.

However, the nylon membrane that fits over the vane frame has begin to age, and I would like to order two more, one to keep as a backup. Red is nice, but the color is not important.

Thank you,

Kevin Leary

From: Dag Rørslett
Sent: December 17, 2012
To: John Curry
Subject: Re: Hydrovane

Hi John,

PS We were very happy about the Hydrovane. It worked beautifully once we dared to ‘start’ it, which was late on the first day after the ARC start. So the vane was working just great for the first five days (put in neutral once in a while just to correct things) in what I will describe as rough weather; nothing extreme; 4-8 m waves and winds 25-40 knots and from behind, The vane coped. It was a great help after the rudder loss surely. Combined with our drogues (we lost our second one) and trimmed sails we managed to hit Cape Verdes, after all!

….and on January 13, 2013, Dag added:

I can send more text to you in a while with “my own story”, saying that the Hydrovane did a great job and without it we might have ended up on the shores of Senegal. Or before that destroyed by colliding with bigger ships in the ship lane between Cap Verdes and Africa; that was my main worry. We steered as you probably know using the vane, a drogue and close reefed sails.

In my personal point of view we would be in severe trouble not having the vane. We needed more gear to steer the boat, that is true, but I think that has to do with the following fact; a heavy boat like mine with semi-long keel but WITHOUT a main rudder will always tend to go up against the wind because the lateral plane (..?; the sideways forces….) is destroyed – the main rudder being a very important part. Our mainsail was stuck too so we could not use that either. The whole balance of the boat was gone, making it almost impossible to steer… BUT we made it to Cape Verdes and are proud of that fact.

A heavy boat with everything in place steers with the vane, surely! Before the incident happened the Hydrovane steered beautifully and everybody onboard was amazed by its easy operation and the fact that it seemed to steer better than our old autopilot.

Anyway, I think it is a good story thanks to the Hydrovane.

Kind regards,
DAG S/Y Modus Vivendi

From: Bill & Tracy Hudson
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 2:35 PM
To: John Curry
Subject: Our Hydrovane

Just wanted to let you know that our Hydrovane (James) just got us from Funafuti in Tuvalu to Pohnpei in the FSM (1688 nautical miles) doing 98% of the steering. That included 35-40 knots of wind and 20-25 foot seas on a broad reach. We only had up our small forestaysail and took three reefs in the main and we were still going well over 7 knots most of the trip. What a champ.

Bill Hudson
SV Zephyr

From: SV Estrellita 5.10b – Carol & Livia
Sent: January-18-13
To: Will Curry
Subject: Re: Seattle boat show

Will,

Sweet and thank you.

We left the boat in the Tuamotus, Apataki more exactly. We loved that place (Tuamotus). So much, that we applied for the long stay visa. 2 more years in French Poly :). I am sure that the hydrovane will appear in our talks, best driver on our boat… Glad you guys are jumping, it is f… amazing here, and not as scary as some people/guide books make it sound like. You can see the vane in action here.

Ciao, we might be at the show on Sunday and if so, we will stop by.

Carol

From: MD
Sent: January-19-13
To: Will Curry
Subject: Re: Hydrovane for Gallinago

Will,

I hope you are well. We made it across from the Canaries to the Caribbean over Christmas. The Hydrovane performed perfectly despite the variety of conditions that we experienced. It definitely is the third crew member. Thanks for your advice to stick with the standard vane as there is only one position that it will hit our gantry and we have not had to sail on that point of sail as yet.

Unfortunately we lost the locking wheel/nut to secure the vane to the unit. Would it be possible to have a price and time-line for a replacement.

Regards

Matthew
Yacht Gallinago.

From: Trevor Fellowes
Sent: March 06, 2013
To: John Curry
Subject: Spare part for my Hydrovane

Hello John

I bought a unit from you in 2010 and fitted it myself. It has been excellent. I have not been on long ocean passages but I have circumnavigated Ireland and sailed from North West Scotland down the West coast of France and Northern Spain, where Candra is now moored till the Spring. I have been surprised and very pleased at how easy and quick it is to set up Hydrovane, so it can be used even for short hops and sailing inshore, with variable winds.

In fact I have just returned home from an Atlantic crossing on a friend’s boat that only had electric power self steering, and wow did that impress me how much better Hydrovane is, in several ways.

Anyway, that is pre-amble and feedback. I need a replacement part: the bottom collar.

Kind regards

Trevor

—

From: Trevor Fellowes
Sent: March 06, 2013
To: John Curry
Subject: Re: Spare part for my Hydrovane – Bottom Collar

John

Yes you are welcome to quote me.

Here are two photos. One is in a stiff wind and sea (never looks as bad does it on film, except that small rock to left is actually just the top of impressive Skellig Michael off SW Ireland) when I was still learning about set and balance. So Hydrovane had to work harder than she should, but coped fine.

I think the second photo is at Ramsay, Isle of Man. Both show the extent to which Hydrovane is offset, but to no deficit. You might also be able to see a light line attached to the tiller, which I use to increase my maneuverability in tight spaces. In your website you cite the advantage of an extra rudder with someone attending to it, but this allows me the same benefit when solo. Sometimes it has enabled me to be brilliant, but I confess that the logistics of turning the wheel one way and pulling a cord for Hydrovane have sometimes been too much for my dexterity. On balance though it is a good trick and perhaps next season practice will make perfect.

I have fitted all new sails to Candra over the past two years. I redesigned the mizzen to have a high cat-cut and the ability to reef as a lateen so as to clear the top of Hydrovane. (Though in practice that is rarely a problem.) But I should also tell you that the Sailtainer in-boom reefing system is super and is an excellent pairing with Hydrovane because it allows infinite and easy reefing, thus keeping the balance optimal. If ever you were looking to acquire a new product for your company, I’d recommend it. Been around and improved over years.

Sorry to go on at length

Best wishes,

Trevor

To: The Hydrovane Team
From: Joel Sorum on the sailing vessel “Compañera”
Location: Marina de La Paz, La Paz, Mexico
Date: November 28, 2012

My Hydrovane has now been installed on “Compañera” and she’s ready to head south along the Mexican coast and beyond. I want to thank all of the Hydrovane team for their timely, knowledgeable, and courteous service. While in La Paz I discovered that the regular windvane did not clear my recently installed solar panels. No problem; Hydrovane sent the stubby vane to my friend in Victoria who was about to return to his boat here in La Paz. Three days later I had my stubby vane and my Hydrovane was complete and ready to steer.

Will Curry took a personal interest in the project and offered several really important suggestions that made for a really superb installation. And Sarah Curry was just great. She made all the arrangements for ordering and delivering the stubby vane and kept me informed throughout the ordering process. So far I am just totally impressed with all the folks at Hydrovane. My hat is off to John Curry, his family and the wonderful people that work with the Hydrovane team.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season…..Joel Sorum

From: Lance Rock
Sent: December 07, 2012
To: John Curry
Subject: Wind and on 42′ Tayana Vancouver cc

Hi John,

I sailed from Freeport Bahamas south to Havana. The boom broke off the mast.

I continued west to clear Cuba and cut over the Gulf Stream to cancun Mexico. My driveshaft also failed, and I limped into isla majures cancun.

I sailed about 800 miles downwind in 15 – 20 knot winds. The wind vane worked better than I ever imagined! The vane lower shaft is a bit overextended, I will measure it and let you know the length. I noticed the wind vane on a whole moving slightly under torque. I assume that is normal! Otherwise it is the only solid thing on my boat! Lol

From: Will Curry
Sent: November 28, 2012
To: John Curry ; Karen Curry, Sarah Curry
Subject: Hydrovane Report

This morning we left Ensenada Los Muertos and the sailing is so good. Instead of hopping further down the Baja, we’ll keep going until we reach Tenicatita Bay ~ 400nm.

I’m really amazed by the Hydrovane performance. We still have the spinnaker and full main up in about 15 knots of wind and we’re doing 7 to 7.5 knts with surges up to 8 (no exaggeration). The boat does not feel over powered and the Hydrovane is still tracking within about 10 degrees of apparent wind course and some lumpy seas. When the winds picked up I moved the ratio knob into the middle setting which made quite a difference in her tracking. The main rudder is locked right on the centerline so the boat is well balanced.

I just took a good video which we’ll have to add to the blog, website and Youtube.

Also, we made water all morning and now have full water tanks after being on the hook for over a week now. Pretty cool when all systems are a go!