Get an Automatic spring loaded Center Punch. This makes a small dimple in any metal that will help your drill bit not slide around when you start drilling. The next level would be to then use a center punch and hammer to make an even bigger divot. Before using this near water, tie a multi wrap fisherman's knot to it with some paracord so when it bounces out of your hand it's tethered and doesn't go overboard. You could also brace the arch at the top. Weld some diagonals. This would keep your braces out of your way. Lockers. Ever dig through all your lockers looking for that 'thing'? Instead take photos of each locker in the layers of things in there. Also label each locker, cabinet, etc... use a permanent marker that shows up in the frame. (If it takes up too much of the frame, write it on the door or inside the lid, but write it on a piece of paper and include that in the shot. This works really well with food when you do a big provisioning before a passage. Now instead of going through every space you just scroll through the photos. "The rubber bands are Port side, diesel tank bilge, on the bottom layer."
I so love this version!! I just saw Salt & Tar install their new HydroVane on Rediviva.. So seeing the difference yet similarities is amazing... Athena is looking great.. ✌🏼💗😊😘
Hi Mads, Drilling stainless, or doing anything else with stainless, can be a bit of a challenge. As a marine engineer I have worked a lot with stainless over the years and the best advice I can give is - 1, always make sure your tools are sharp, especially with drilling. 2, use good quality drills like Dormer as the the point will always be accuartely sha rpened from the factory. These days you can buy drills with a slpit point which reduces the amonut of rubbing atthe web or centre of the drill. 3, make sure you keep the pressure up as the drill is cutting and dont take a rest with the drill rubbing in the hole as this will cause the surface to work harden, especially with 300 series stainless. Once the surface has work hardened you simple drilling job becomes a bit of a nightmare. 4, you would be better to run the drill a little slower as speed causes heat and stainless doesn't like heat during the cuting process which of cause leads to work hardening. I hope this helps. Your boat is looking great and I wonder what you will do when you have actually finished all you little jobs? Cheers and have fun. Ian New Zealand
It's a common notion that heat leads to work hardening. In fact, while they seem to happen simultaneously, the actual mechanism is that the work hardening (which results if the drill does not have sufficient axial force to keep cutting) instantly causes the drill to lose its edge. From now on, the drill acts like a burnishing tool to deform instead of slice, which causes further work hardening (a runaway situation). Burnishing without a roller causes massive friction, which causes heat (adding a thermal runaway). Heat is the symptom of work hardening, rather than the cause. 3xx stainless does not harden with heat: if it gets hot enough, it softens. It is the drill which "does not like heat", rather than the stainless, and this is why (even with HSS - "high speed steel" drill bits) it is important to use a slow speed along with unremittingly heavy feed ...
I bought a dozen or so double-ended short 1/8" cobalt pilot bits to use for starting holes in stainless, and then step up from there. You can put a lot of force on them with so little protruding from the chuck, and throw them away when they become dull. If necessary, use bacon grease, AnchorLube cutting lubricant or water to cool while cutting.
I love Mads and his explanations of everything. Doohickeys, thingamajigs and spiffy just to name a few. Ava and her history lessons and often perspective on things. Love you guys.
Hi Mads. I am rather surprised that you, Mr. DIM (did it myself), did not build your own windvane. Talk about price vs. performance advantage. But there is a time advantage to buying an off the shelf unit. I have built three windvanes for myself for my last three boats. Not as "spiffy" as a beautiful "SS" piece of artwork hanging off the transom but have they helped to sail my boats 10s of thousands of mile so far. Sail trim, you will find, is important when using a windvane. My boat, SunShine, is a bit smaller than Athena at 11 meters. If I move from the cockpit to the bow and especially if two of us move to the bow the weight shift alters the trim of the boat enough to cause a change in the windvane's ability to maintain course when steering the boat. You will find it helpful to trim the sails just right, so that the boat steers a steady course with little to no weather or lee helm. This will make you a better sailor and help ensure you are getting maximum drive from the sails. Another point is do not overpower the boat with sail area. This often leads to too much weather helm. Not only is sailing with the rail in the water not much fun over the long term, it is often slower and increases side slip so that your VMG is less. May all your troubles melt like lemon drops. Fred and DeDe
Mads, i love the belt\suspenders approach taken to the " suture your pants to your Skin" for reliability!!! LOL! Better safe and prepared than lost at sea!!
@@SailLife Hi I think you made a wise choice installing a windvane. I sailed solo for 4 years around the world including Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. My windvane (Aries Windvane) steered the boat 90% of the time better than I could. The more it blew, the better it steered.And as you said, completely without the use of electricity. KISS (Keep it stupid simple) Kind regards: Stig A Ørsnes ( Norsk Viking)
For teh arch bracing, you might want to try using the dyneema across the top cormers. Although teh 'wobble' is at the base, there must be an equal bend at the opposite corner of the arch. The larger the triangle the better the bracing.
Look up “chevron” bracing, or K bracing. You want triangles with the corners connecting if you can get it. You may need a new anchor point on the center top of the transom with lines running to the upper corners of the arch.
Most arches have a set of bars at the bottom from about mid way to the deck. You then have a handy hanging place for outboard motors, fenders, barbeques etc. This arch is pretty amateur from a design point of view. A 2 minute conversation with a stainless bar fabricator who has worked on boats would have the design right. Also you can buy Saint fittings and pre bent bars for around $200 and the job takes around an hour to do. Our upholsterer sells the lot.
Nice video. We used a windvane on our circumnavigation in the 1980s, having a Hydrovane on our current Bristol 35. Windvanes are truly the best crew you can have on your boat without the need for sleep, food, or electricity, keeping the crew safe from sleep deprivation during storms.
Have someone weld a piece of flat stainless to the round emergency rudder where it bolts to the wind vane. it is easier to drill that way. Love your videos. Good luck..
Hi Mads and ava⛵ Thanks for a lovely cannel. I have worked my way tru all your episodes, and it have been a blast! Thanks 👍🙏. I have a similar projects on My own with not so extensive refitt of deck and truholhe. Mads is werry inspiration for my half way project. Sail safe. Best regards Richard. Ps i have a contrast 371 i.e. a strecht 36 with a good looking aft. Ds
Mads, I’m totally laughing here in Gentofte! My compatriots in West Cork really did teach you to pronounce shi.. 😂😂😂 Happy Christmas/Glædlig Jul to you both🎉
Thanks! For all the years of knowledge I gathered from your DIY projects… Merry Christmas… as an aside for AVA maybe she can research why in UK etc. they say Happy Christmas while in North America we tend to say Merry Christmas.
Not to be a nervous nelly and I'm sure this product has had nothing but good reviews.....however - the only thing that jumped out at me was the nut which seems to be tack welded in place to support a clamping knob - obvious at 1:59 into the video. I would have preferred just a little more weld volume holding those two parts together. Looking forward to seeing this windvane in operation..
Hi Guys....not heard of ProVane before. Very similar to Hydrovane in concept and design. Please give some detailed feedback from your sea trials telling us how it performs...see you...!!
Love your videos ....... It took a very brave man and some careful measurements to drill the holes in the transom. From the warmth of my sofa I do enjoy sailing with you...
i must say that i enjoy each video you put out yes i am land locked here in AZ but i have been on the ocean for many years and you can't take the ocean out of me. take care and have a great life on the ocean. safe sail and i will see you folks on next Sunday's video
Very cool video Matt... I liked it. However, there is an option of vane-to-tiller option; which is what I am building. It's simple set-up that basically uses a vane+pendulum arrangement that has lines running through blocks that then pull on the tiller. Pretty straight forward.
Great show. I can't wait to see the wind vane in action. No walk thru with Ava? I love her discoveries around town. Have a great week. Thanks 4 sharing, Cheers, Jay 🙂
Great progress, btw Garrett on Salt and Tar mentioned a book about trimming sails called "Self Steering without a Windvane" by Lee Woas might be a backup to a backup of a backup. Don't think you have the same sails but might be a good read (they have a windvane now too)
Hi, I enjoyed the video, very interesting. One thing I didn't like. I think you should have tried to catch the drilling chips rather then letting them fall into the water. It's not that difficult, it's possible with 2 hands, and you are even 4 handed.
Great you have a windvane. I hope you have some spare parts for it, perhaps ask a stainless guy to cast their eyes over it to help identify things that may wear out most quickly.
Move your solar arch 'wobble supports' outboard. Put a bit of metal outboard in the same plane as the panels, and at the same height, 90 degrees to the centerline. Then make a triangle with dyneema from the end of this metal down to the deck. Depending on how flexible the metal piece is, this should be as stiff as the old setup, but moves all the parts out of the way.
As a sailor with about 20 000 nautical miles of experience with offshore windvane sailing with a windpilot i have to say that this windvane does not look like a good choice due to several reasons: -This is not a servo pendulum system but relies solely on the force of the wind (instead of the force of the water due to the movement of the boat) to produce the steering movement. This kind of approach is working MUCH worse especially when sailing downwind courses because the apparent wind and therefore steering moment is very low. -The rudder on this system can not be raised out of the water easily. There are several problems related to this. At first, it makes backing the boat into a slip much harder if the auxilliary rudder is not fixed before going in reverse. Second problem is that there will be a lot of growth on the rudder, much more than on the main rudder because it is exposed to sunlight. As the aux rudder is smaller growth will also be much more problematic than on the main rudder and make the system work even worse than before. And third, it is very hard to remove tangled seaweed (which causes the windvane to stop working) from the aux rudder when underway. You will have to stop the boat to be able to push down the seaweed with something like a boat hook. In areas with a lot of growth (e.g. Sargasso Sea) this can be VERY annoying.
Guys Cascais is my hometown it’s lovely Please go and check it out and Sintra as well you won’t regret it 😊 would love to visit you guys but I’m leaving in Madrid right now Love your Channel Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
Hi Mads & Ava, as always, loved your video (building a boat myself)! I am eager to see you testing the windvane, because it looks like a Hydrovane alternative. But the link you posted leads to the Windy site that only has a pendulum windvane... is there another link to the one you installed? Fair winds and a safe journey to the Canaries!
Great videos Mads and Ava! Always looking forward for your episodes with great joy! A small question, since it seems I can't find the ProVane site. The link in the description is for Windy Selfsteering, not for ProVane. Or is it a matter of their site not mentioning the ProVane product? Fair winds and following sees!
My ocean crossings (3) by wind vane suggests the wind blade will be bothered by the many obstacles surrounding it in lighter winds. And IMO you missed a major + of the wind vane: as weather strengthens & wind increases, the vane's steering power increases accordingly. Not true with the other methods you mentioned. As for the ARC, they tend to be larger boats. On arriving in Horta from USA I was struck by the 'small boat' side of the marina, where almost every smaller/simpler/more affordable sailboat sported a wind vane.
...has the Oh Glorious sanding been replaced with Oh Glorious bilge scrubbing? Next time on Sail Life? I jest. I do applaud Mads for keeping up on the bilge cleanliness, it feels a little silly sometimes, but will help in the long run
Hi Mads, great video as always, thanks! I wonder if you are familiar with a video that Free Range Living (aka FR Sailing), not related in any way, Yacht Self-Steering System for all Conditions, they use a tiller pilot but connect it to the windvane itself, not the tiller. Less force needed, making it more reliable. Probably worth considering. Cheers!
fun fact : vana talinn Old Danish (Gamle Tallinn) in todays est. vana taanlane wiki : historical derivation of Taani-linna, meaning "Danish-castle" (Latin: Castrum Danorum), conceivably because the Danish invaders built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold after the 1219 battle of Lyndanisse.
Hello Mads and Ava. I am a big fan of your channel and I always learn a lot. I’m curious why you haven’t had a stainless guy weld some diagonal braces in the upper corners of your arch? It seems to me like that would take care of the flexing quite nicely and you would no longer need all the diagonal dyneema bracing. Fairwinds :-)
Almost like "Ole Times" with the DIY on the wind vane. I'm sure the challenge of working from boat level rather than having shop equipment, will continue for all your sailing years. I appreciate your acceptance of some of the limitations and applaud your pluck for the circumstance. Will the rudder with the vane remain in the water the entire time or be lifted when not in operation? Continued good sailing.
Hi Nice video !!! I can see you have enjoyed the installation ... The wind vane system looks very nice and robust !! is there a link where I can check the product ?? Best regards, fair winds and Cheers from `Muros !!!
nice. mines being ordered :) question, how many hours would a seasoned mechanic with a drill press need to install it, based on your configuration? keep up the good video's!
We've owned a Hydrovane for 20 years and used it for most of the steering on two Atlantic crossings. In no wind and under power, the 5 knots apparent wind is enough to keep us on course just using the Hydrovane and a locked off main rudder. Give it a go on your trials. Fair winds!
If there's no true wind, how does the wind vane know what course to keep? Surely in this circumstance the apparent wind will stay dead on the nose, regardless of course?
I have a ProVane installed and used for over 1year here on the east coast of Australia. I have extensively sea trialled the ProVane, it works very well. By accident I did exactly what Tim suggested forgetting the Provane was live, it worked perfectly in keeping the boat on course so then I locked off main rudder and it continued. In my experience 5kts of wind is the lower limit of the Provane’s ability to work. Optimal minimal wind is 8 kts. From there on its all go. I have had it working in 20kts and feisty seas no problem but at this stage nothing higher, it does cope with 2m swells just fine as long as the wind is active.
Two things: One, I didn’t notice you drilling and filling the holes with epoxy to get isolation from the transom core. Two, If you crank too hard on the turnbuckles for the brace, the anchor brackets may pull out from the hull. Did you drill and fill those holes too?
Odd ProVane does not come up on any searches. When visiting the Windy site there is no mention of ProVane and the unit that they are selling is entirely different than the one Mads installed. Is it a one off for Athena?
Hey, I was just wondering if you used locktite or anything like that on the bolts of the wind vane? Dieneema lines is a good idea., strong yet adjustable when u need. Also wondering whether or not you guys are considering a wind turbine for the boat. Happy holidays and a great new year. Cheers from Sunny Singapore.
How much do you expect the gigantic solar arch to interfere with the vane's sense of apparent wind? It's like it's underneath this huge roof of panels.
Thanks much for going over the windvane task. Haven't heard of this one- and a self steering vane is coming up on my to-do list. We love you guys and best wishes for great weather. Fingers crossed....WAIT...should it be 'thumbs pressed'? Or is that a German thing?
Hi Mads, the link to Windy is all servo-pendulum types of wind vane, using a wheel pulley or lines to a tiller - do you have a link for the ProVane type you have installed which is completely independent of the boats steering system?
Ah. Nice. You've installed a dessert rudder.
Haha 😂 I had to think about that one for a second 😁
@@SailLife Just do us all a favor and maybe don't add a third backup rudder. Last thing them orcas need is some digestifs.
….Can also serve as an hors d’ oeuvre, we all know Mads is all about versatility😊
Get an Automatic spring loaded Center Punch. This makes a small dimple in any metal that will help your drill bit not slide around when you start drilling. The next level would be to then use a center punch and hammer to make an even bigger divot. Before using this near water, tie a multi wrap fisherman's knot to it with some paracord so when it bounces out of your hand it's tethered and doesn't go overboard.
You could also brace the arch at the top. Weld some diagonals. This would keep your braces out of your way.
Lockers. Ever dig through all your lockers looking for that 'thing'? Instead take photos of each locker in the layers of things in there. Also label each locker, cabinet, etc... use a permanent marker that shows up in the frame. (If it takes up too much of the frame, write it on the door or inside the lid, but write it on a piece of paper and include that in the shot. This works really well with food when you do a big provisioning before a passage. Now instead of going through every space you just scroll through the photos. "The rubber bands are Port side, diesel tank bilge, on the bottom layer."
Every time the intro says "somewhat extensive", i chuckle, because by any definition, Athena's is basically rebuilt and better than new.
I think it says expensive not extensive refit
Mads, the BBC really could do with you as a weatherman. Your forecast " next week looks a bit shite weatherwise" was priceless!!
I so love this version!! I just saw Salt & Tar install their new HydroVane on Rediviva.. So seeing the difference yet similarities is amazing... Athena is looking great.. ✌🏼💗😊😘
Hi Mads, Drilling stainless, or doing anything else with stainless, can be a bit of a challenge. As a marine engineer I have worked a lot with stainless over the years and the best advice I can give is - 1, always make sure your tools are sharp, especially with drilling. 2, use good quality drills like Dormer as the the point will always be accuartely sha rpened from the factory. These days you can buy drills with a slpit point which reduces the amonut of rubbing atthe web or centre of the drill. 3, make sure you keep the pressure up as the drill is cutting and dont take a rest with the drill rubbing in the hole as this will cause the surface to work harden, especially with 300 series stainless. Once the surface has work hardened you simple drilling job becomes a bit of a nightmare. 4, you would be better to run the drill a little slower as speed causes heat and stainless doesn't like heat during the cuting process which of cause leads to work hardening. I hope this helps. Your boat is looking great and I wonder what you will do when you have actually finished all you little jobs? Cheers and have fun. Ian New Zealand
It's a common notion that heat leads to work hardening.
In fact, while they seem to happen simultaneously, the actual mechanism is that the work hardening (which results if the drill does not have sufficient axial force to keep cutting) instantly causes the drill to lose its edge. From now on, the drill acts like a burnishing tool to deform instead of slice, which causes further work hardening (a runaway situation).
Burnishing without a roller causes massive friction, which causes heat (adding a thermal runaway).
Heat is the symptom of work hardening, rather than the cause.
3xx stainless does not harden with heat: if it gets hot enough, it softens.
It is the drill which "does not like heat", rather than the stainless, and this is why (even with HSS - "high speed steel" drill bits) it is important to use a slow speed along with unremittingly heavy feed ...
I bought a dozen or so double-ended short 1/8" cobalt pilot bits to use for starting holes in stainless, and then step up from there. You can put a lot of force on them with so little protruding from the chuck, and throw them away when they become dull. If necessary, use bacon grease, AnchorLube cutting lubricant or water to cool while cutting.
I love Mads and his explanations of everything. Doohickeys, thingamajigs and spiffy just to name a few. Ava and her history lessons and often perspective on things. Love you guys.
That guy in the red shirt at about the 14 minute mark is my spirit animal… walking around looking like he’s totally lost, lol!!!
Hi Mads. I am rather surprised that you, Mr. DIM (did it myself), did not build your own windvane. Talk about price vs. performance advantage. But there is a time advantage to buying an off the shelf unit. I have built three windvanes for myself for my last three boats. Not as "spiffy" as a beautiful "SS" piece of artwork hanging off the transom but have they helped to sail my boats 10s of thousands of mile so far.
Sail trim, you will find, is important when using a windvane. My boat, SunShine, is a bit smaller than Athena at 11 meters. If I move from the cockpit to the bow and especially if two of us move to the bow the weight shift alters the trim of the boat enough to cause a change in the windvane's ability to maintain course when steering the boat. You will find it helpful to trim the sails just right, so that the boat steers a steady course with little to no weather or lee helm. This will make you a better sailor and help ensure you are getting maximum drive from the sails.
Another point is do not overpower the boat with sail area. This often leads to too much weather helm. Not only is sailing with the rail in the water not much fun over the long term, it is often slower and increases side slip so that your VMG is less.
May all your troubles melt like lemon drops. Fred and DeDe
Mads, i love the belt\suspenders approach taken to the " suture your pants to your Skin" for reliability!!! LOL! Better safe and prepared than lost at sea!!
La veleta ha sido una buena idea. Hace 50 años ya era un gran consuelo...y no necesita electricidad!!
Really looking forward to your after action report on the ProVane!
I'll keep you posted 😀
@@SailLife Hi
I think you made a wise choice installing a windvane. I sailed solo for 4 years around the world including Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. My windvane (Aries Windvane) steered the boat 90% of the time better than I could. The more it blew, the better it steered.And as you said, completely without the use of electricity. KISS (Keep it stupid simple)
Kind regards: Stig A Ørsnes ( Norsk Viking)
Please help me locate the company provane so I can buy one
@@SailLife Any updates on the windvane? Did you use it to the Canarias?
For teh arch bracing, you might want to try using the dyneema across the top cormers. Although teh 'wobble' is at the base, there must be an equal bend at the opposite corner of the arch.
The larger the triangle the better the bracing.
Very true.
Look up “chevron” bracing, or K bracing. You want triangles with the corners connecting if you can get it. You may need a new anchor point on the center top of the transom with lines running to the upper corners of the arch.
Most arches have a set of bars at the bottom from about mid way to the deck. You then have a handy hanging place for outboard motors, fenders, barbeques etc. This arch is pretty amateur from a design point of view. A 2 minute conversation with a stainless bar fabricator who has worked on boats would have the design right. Also you can buy Saint fittings and pre bent bars for around $200 and the job takes around an hour to do. Our upholsterer sells the lot.
Nice video. We used a windvane on our circumnavigation in the 1980s, having a Hydrovane on our current Bristol 35. Windvanes are truly the best crew you can have on your boat without the need for sleep, food, or electricity, keeping the crew safe from sleep deprivation during storms.
The triumphant return of "Mr. Angle Grinder."
Have someone weld a piece of flat stainless to the round emergency rudder where it bolts to the wind vane. it is easier to drill that way. Love your videos. Good luck..
You’re playing with our emotions!!
Every week the anticipation of a “miniatures with Ava” segment in the video is an emotional roller coaster!
Hi Mads and ava⛵
Thanks for a lovely cannel. I have worked my way tru all your episodes, and it have been a blast! Thanks 👍🙏. I have a similar projects on My own with not so extensive refitt of deck and truholhe. Mads is werry inspiration for my half way project. Sail safe. Best regards Richard. Ps i have a contrast 371 i.e. a strecht 36 with a good looking aft. Ds
Mads, I’m totally laughing here in Gentofte! My compatriots in West Cork really did teach you to pronounce shi.. 😂😂😂 Happy Christmas/Glædlig Jul to you both🎉
Thanks! For all the years of knowledge I gathered from your DIY projects… Merry Christmas… as an aside for AVA maybe she can research why in UK etc. they say Happy Christmas while in North America we tend to say Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much! :) Merry Christmas 🎄
Your first addition with out wires
Mads - the link you gave seems to be a pendulum style Vane -I don't see the Provane on that site...What am I missing?
Not to be a nervous nelly and I'm sure this product has had nothing but good reviews.....however - the only thing that jumped out at me was the nut which seems to be tack welded in place to support a clamping knob - obvious at 1:59 into the video. I would have preferred just a little more weld volume holding those two parts together. Looking forward to seeing this windvane in operation..
Woohoo! Glad to see something from Estonia 🇪🇪 attached to Athena 🤩
Hi Guys....not heard of ProVane before. Very similar to Hydrovane in concept and design. Please give some detailed feedback from your sea trials telling us how it performs...see you...!!
Weekly ritual : end the week watching Sail Life
Thank you so much 👍😀
More camera time for Eva. Her witty words and charm ng demeanor keeps me in stitches. She is a wonderful alchemy of Intelligence and humor. Hi Eva!
Love your videos ....... It took a very brave man and some careful measurements to drill the holes in the transom. From the warmth of my sofa I do enjoy sailing with you...
i must say that i enjoy each video you put out yes i am land locked here in AZ but i have been on the ocean for many years and you can't take the ocean out of me. take care and have a great life on the ocean. safe sail and i will see you folks on next Sunday's video
Thank you so much for staying tuned 😀
Very cool video Matt... I liked it.
However, there is an option of vane-to-tiller option; which is what I am building. It's simple set-up that basically uses a vane+pendulum arrangement that has lines running through blocks that then pull on the tiller.
Pretty straight forward.
Woohoo... I haven't even got through the the first advert and Ive liked and commented. Thank you. I just LOVE your channel.
Great show. I can't wait to see the wind vane in action. No walk thru with Ava? I love her discoveries around town. Have a great week.
Thanks 4 sharing, Cheers,
Jay 🙂
Great progress, btw Garrett on Salt and Tar mentioned a book about trimming sails called "Self Steering without a Windvane" by Lee Woas might be a backup to a backup of a backup. Don't think you have the same sails but might be a good read (they have a windvane now too)
Crossing getting closer! Boat looks just about ready.
Hi, I enjoyed the video, very interesting. One thing I didn't like. I think you should have tried to catch the drilling chips rather then letting them fall into the water. It's not that difficult, it's possible with 2 hands, and you are even 4 handed.
Love this type of "build/installation" video, they are so well made.
I couldn't believe that I did not subscribe before. I did now. Great watching many videos.
Still the best sailing channel on youtube... Thanks for the another great vid.
oh it is so nice to see those blue lines are gone it makes the boat look so much nicer !
Stay safe and we'll see you next week.
perhaps a bit of mousing is in place for the vent doodad?
Thank you!
Great you have a windvane. I hope you have some spare parts for it, perhaps ask a stainless guy to cast their eyes over it to help identify things that may wear out most quickly.
It would be a fun/interesting video to see you rig Athena up for sheet-to-wheel.
Love you guys! Aloha!😊
Always look forward to your videos. If you guys ever sail up the Columbia River in Washington state let me know and I'll buy you two a steak dinner.
Just one more shameless plug for the Majestic Poop Bird that I absolutely love. Great content!
Move your solar arch 'wobble supports' outboard. Put a bit of metal outboard in the same plane as the panels, and at the same height, 90 degrees to the centerline. Then make a triangle with dyneema from the end of this metal down to the deck. Depending on how flexible the metal piece is, this should be as stiff as the old setup, but moves all the parts out of the way.
As a sailor with about 20 000 nautical miles of experience with offshore windvane sailing with a windpilot i have to say that this windvane does not look like a good choice due to several reasons:
-This is not a servo pendulum system but relies solely on the force of the wind (instead of the force of the water due to the movement of the boat) to produce the steering movement. This kind of approach is working MUCH worse especially when sailing downwind courses because the apparent wind and therefore steering moment is very low.
-The rudder on this system can not be raised out of the water easily. There are several problems related to this. At first, it makes backing the boat into a slip much harder if the auxilliary rudder is not fixed before going in reverse. Second problem is that there will be a lot of growth on the rudder, much more than on the main rudder because it is exposed to sunlight. As the aux rudder is smaller growth will also be much more problematic than on the main rudder and make the system work even worse than before. And third, it is very hard to remove tangled seaweed (which causes the windvane to stop working) from the aux rudder when underway. You will have to stop the boat to be able to push down the seaweed with something like a boat hook. In areas with a lot of growth (e.g. Sargasso Sea) this can be VERY annoying.
11:44 fish underneath wondering what all the noise and floating debris is.
Oh glorious projects
Mads, you definately need some cobalt drill bits for stainless works.
Guys Cascais is my hometown it’s lovely Please go and check it out and Sintra as well you won’t regret it 😊 would love to visit you guys but I’m leaving in Madrid right now Love your Channel Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
Hi Mads & Ava, as always, loved your video (building a boat myself)! I am eager to see you testing the windvane, because it looks like a Hydrovane alternative. But the link you posted leads to the Windy site that only has a pendulum windvane... is there another link to the one you installed? Fair winds and a safe journey to the Canaries!
Great videos Mads and Ava! Always looking forward for your episodes with great joy! A small question, since it seems I can't find the ProVane site. The link in the description is for Windy Selfsteering, not for ProVane. Or is it a matter of their site not mentioning the ProVane product? Fair winds and following sees!
I think dyneema is effected by temperature so keep an eye on tension.... especially in cold weather.
I wonder if the solar arch will alter the true wind direction and mess with the wind vane function
Surprised you havent put backing/strengthening pads on the attachments to the stern
Love the Kanban board 😊
My ocean crossings (3) by wind vane suggests the wind blade will be bothered by the many obstacles surrounding it in lighter winds. And IMO you missed a major + of the wind vane: as weather strengthens & wind increases, the vane's steering power increases accordingly. Not true with the other methods you mentioned. As for the ARC, they tend to be larger boats. On arriving in Horta from USA I was struck by the 'small boat' side of the marina, where almost every smaller/simpler/more affordable sailboat sported a wind vane.
This was a really helpfull video, thanks!
...has the Oh Glorious sanding been replaced with Oh Glorious bilge scrubbing? Next time on Sail Life? I jest. I do applaud Mads for keeping up on the bilge cleanliness, it feels a little silly sometimes, but will help in the long run
Hi Mads, great video as always, thanks! I wonder if you are familiar with a video that Free Range Living (aka FR Sailing), not related in any way, Yacht Self-Steering System for all Conditions, they use a tiller pilot but connect it to the windvane itself, not the tiller. Less force needed, making it more reliable. Probably worth considering.
Cheers!
Why don't you do a season or two in the Med? Seems like a shame to miss it.
fun fact : vana talinn Old Danish (Gamle Tallinn) in todays est. vana taanlane
wiki : historical derivation of Taani-linna, meaning "Danish-castle" (Latin: Castrum Danorum), conceivably because the Danish invaders built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold after the 1219 battle of Lyndanisse.
No antifouling on the extra rudder ?
Love to hear about your manual storage process - all as PDFs? Etc
Hello Mads and Ava. I am a big fan of your channel and I always learn a lot. I’m curious why you haven’t had a stainless guy weld some diagonal braces in the upper corners of your arch? It seems to me like that would take care of the flexing quite nicely and you would no longer need all the diagonal dyneema bracing. Fairwinds :-)
absolutely!
Almost like "Ole Times" with the DIY on the wind vane. I'm sure the challenge of working from boat level rather than having shop equipment, will continue for all your sailing years. I appreciate your acceptance of some of the limitations and applaud your pluck for the circumstance. Will the rudder with the vane remain in the water the entire time or be lifted when not in operation? Continued good sailing.
Very nice walkthrogh of the ProVane.. I mean, what´s not to like.. About the future projects, can you disclose what rigger/company you are gonna use?
I have had a Dyneema bow string. light fast and strong.
cool - new target for the Orca's 🤣
Haha 😂 I'll hold off on attaching the rudder till we're ready to leave the orca infested waters 😉
Maybe you want to get a "center drill" for starting holes on metal.
See you👍🏽.
Excellent progress pretty soon you will be testing it.
Looks like a modern version of a Monitor. It will be interesting to see how it preforms.
Hi Nice video !!! I can see you have enjoyed the installation ... The wind vane system looks very nice and robust !! is there a link where I can check the product ?? Best regards, fair winds and Cheers from `Muros !!!
Just wondering if the dinghy on the back, could be a problem, I guess you have thought of that anyway.
nice. mines being ordered :)
question, how many hours would a seasoned mechanic with a drill press need to install it, based on your configuration?
keep up the good video's!
Buy a set of HSS TiN drillbits, makes drilling through stainless a lot easier.
Great work on going and catch you on the next video , take care .😉👍
We've owned a Hydrovane for 20 years and used it for most of the steering on two Atlantic crossings. In no wind and under power, the 5 knots apparent wind is enough to keep us on course just using the Hydrovane and a locked off main rudder. Give it a go on your trials. Fair winds!
That will be very interesting to test 🙂
If there's no true wind, how does the wind vane know what course to keep?
Surely in this circumstance the apparent wind will stay dead on the nose, regardless of course?
I have a ProVane installed and used for over 1year here on the east coast of Australia. I have extensively sea trialled the ProVane, it works very well. By accident I did exactly what Tim suggested forgetting the Provane was live, it worked perfectly in keeping the boat on course so then I locked off main rudder and it continued. In my experience 5kts of wind is the lower limit of the Provane’s ability to work. Optimal minimal wind is 8 kts. From there on its all go. I have had it working in 20kts and feisty seas no problem but at this stage nothing higher, it does cope with 2m swells just fine as long as the wind is active.
@@dreamtimesv is as sturdy as the Hydrovane? do you need lot of spare parts?
Pilot drill Mads! 😜
Great video I still don’t know how the wind vane works ?
I love Athena she is so nice and the perfect size to live!!! Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays from Cape Cod😁👍🙏
Thank you so much 🙂
Two things:
One, I didn’t notice you drilling and filling the holes with epoxy to get isolation from the transom core.
Two, If you crank too hard on the turnbuckles for the brace, the anchor brackets may pull out from the hull. Did you drill and fill those holes too?
All those holes are in solid fiberglass there is no core in the deck-hull-joint or in the transom :)
Hi Matts. Great video. I can’t find ProVane website. Do they trade under a different name?
Me neither...
It’s easy to drill Stainless Steel by hand with a Cobalt drill bit.
hello, a very nice report about the installation of the wind steering system. where can i order it in germany? Yours sincerely Sebastian
Ah. Sunday evening with Sail Life after some CNC-cutting 🥰
Odd ProVane does not come up on any searches. When visiting the Windy site there is no mention of ProVane and the unit that they are selling is entirely different than the one Mads installed. Is it a one off for Athena?
Hey, I was just wondering if you used locktite or anything like that on the bolts of the wind vane? Dieneema lines is a good idea., strong yet adjustable when u need. Also wondering whether or not you guys are considering a wind turbine for the boat. Happy holidays and a great new year. Cheers from Sunny Singapore.
How much do you expect the gigantic solar arch to interfere with the vane's sense of apparent wind? It's like it's underneath this huge roof of panels.
Thanks much for going over the windvane task. Haven't heard of this one- and a self steering vane is coming up on my to-do list. We love you guys and best wishes for great weather. Fingers crossed....WAIT...should it be 'thumbs pressed'? Or is that a German thing?
When are you crossing the Atlantic?
Where can I find more info of ProVane. Can't find anything, no manufacturer, no results from Google. Closest is Windy Vindvane from Estonia.
Wind vane: is that an appetizer for the Orcas?
Looks a good simple self steering gear (KISS) be interested to see how it works & the price Hmmm .
Many thanks for entertainment of spiffyness
@1SailLife1 spammer
Hi Mads, the link to Windy is all servo-pendulum types of wind vane, using a wheel pulley or lines to a tiller - do you have a link for the ProVane type you have installed which is completely independent of the boats steering system?
I also wanted to ask...