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Date: Sun Mar 26 2006 - 15:55:12 EST
Peter wrote:<<[SNIP]new vane is going to cost $3,000 plus. It's a one time
expense however. A good autopilot capable of handling the day in, day out
sailing requirements of long distance sailing is going to be well over a
$1,000. Double that cost for all the spares[SNIP]>>>
Excellent points. One more is lifespan of the AP - as I think about the
electronic gizmos I have in my home - VCR's, DVD players, etc. - all seem to
last 5 years or less (sometimes much less). And this is in a home
environment without moisture and saltspray to deal with as well as constant
motion.
But some will still go with the AP because of its perceived lower cost -
plus, the cost is spread over time rather than being spent at once. I think
your suggestion of a Vane as primary and AP as backup is perfect. As we
move into a electronic world more and more of what we buy has become
throw-away. For instance, I bought a quality camera by Minolta in the early
80s for over $300 - electronic of course as they all were (are) and now, it
no longer works properly. It can't be taken apart and fixed - and it will
cost more than its worth to pay someone to fix it. They go for <$30 on eBay
everyday... But it's how the world has become. The vane is a piece of
craftsmanship that will work forever if cared for.
Sincerely,
Larry T (Catalina 27)
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----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Ogilvie
To:
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: [world-cruising] Preparation for cruising
chuck <> wrote: autopilot - looked at wind vane and
said no but is under constant review. I don't understand why anyone going
offshore would get an A/P in lieu of a Windvane. A Vane first and then an
autopilot. The vane is a fairly simple mechanical device that anyone can
understand. Spares can be carried and jury rigs made from things commonly
carried on your boat while at sea. Not much technical knowledge to keep the
thing running. Many people have made circumnavigations and/or sailed for
decades without performing any maintenance beyond replacing control lines or
other simple, easily predictable replacements. As conditions become more
challenging, vanes typically work better. More wind, more boat speed, the
greater the steering input and steering force produced.
The A/P, on the other hand, requires all those little electrons to go to
the right place at the right time and a constant supply in great quantity of
the electrons or they don't work. Repair at sea is nearly impossible unless
you can identify the exact part that has gone bad and have a very unique
replacement part to install. If it is a circuit board or other unique
electronic part that has gone bad, there is no fixing it, you have to
replace the exact same part. Hopefully you brought along at least a
complete whole other unit and pray the same part doesn't maki twice.
A/P's are power hogs and as the conditions worsen they require even more
power and quite often perform more poorly or not at all. Worse problem is
A/Ps tend to run out of ability as the conditions worsen. I'm sure that
some autopilots can handle the boat in most any conditions but too many
report the A/Ps can't handle steep seas and strong winds. Exactly and.
I hear cost factor as an excuse for going with an Autopilot. A new vane
is going to cost $3,000 plus. It's a onetime expense however. A good
autopilot capable of handling the day in, day out sailing requirements of
long distance sailing is going to be well over a $1,000. Double that cost
for all the spares you should carry, add in the wind generator and/or
multiple solar panels to feed the thirsty bastard, and the inevitable cost
of servicing the beast by expensive technicians and the Windvane seems
cheap, by comparison.
The autopilot should be a nice to have backup for powering, close in shore
work where you need spot on heading control and the ability to interface
with a GPS while you sleep, and dead downwind if you sail with a spinnaker
and like to surf. On all the other points of sail, a vane will silently and
uncomplainingly sail the boat and leave you free to do anything you need or
feel like doing. If a vane won't do it in winds over 5mph, you have
something wrong with the installation, a boat that is dangerous and
unsuitable for any offshore passage, or sea conditions where luck and
consumate skill are what you need to survive.
From my experience, effective and completely reliable self steering is
more important than the boat. I've made long (500+ miles) offshore passages
without selfsteering. They were not fun but grueling survival contests. If
your selfsteering is not absolutely reliable, you will be faced with similar
challenges. It's not fun to sit at the helm 24/7, day in, day out. It
cut's into your sleep, if nothing else.
On the boat we lived on for 3 years and cruised for two, the self steering
steered the boat if the boat would sail. If the vane wouldn't steer the
boat, we just dropped the sails, sat and waited for enough wind. The only
time we drove, was getting into and out of harbors under power.
Aloha
Peter O.
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