Trailering with Wind Vane

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:41 am

I always take mine off for trailering, luckily on an X you can reach it from the transom with one foot on the motor.

Perhaps on an M you could place the mast a bit further forward on the pulpit so you can reach it, then place the mast in the bracket after it is removed.

I found that the angle indicators are of no value. All they will do is get you frustrated that you cannot point as close to the wind as you think you should. I removed that part and just use the wind arrow itself. It tells you what you really need to know and you can then steer the boat as needed based on the wind direction. Without the angle indicators it won't matter that the M mast is rotating. You will sail much better by feeling the wind angle than you will by trying to aim the boat by lining up a pointer with a angle indicator.

Remember, these boats are faster cracked off a bit than they are pinched as tight on the wind as possible. You'll get a better VMG to a destination by sailing wider faster tack angles. Likewise a series of deep reaches are better than running directly down wind.

waternwaves · Post by **waternwaves** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:32 am

I'm on my 6th one......... seems between the mast raising, birds, solar and other issues.........

they don't last long

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:46 pm

March wrote: ... Raymarine makes a cabled version, which is still quite expensive, but I am not experienced enough to see at a glance that the wind is 15 knots, even though the windwane and telltale pieces of thread show me the direction. Anyone has an experience with that model? I think it is T40.

You mean Raymarine's ST-40, about $300, a small LCD gauge with image of the bow, and of course a pointer representing the wind.

It's a bit off-topic, so I started a thread in Modifications forum for Wind Instruments.

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:19 pm

For those of you with the new NMEA 2000 GPS's you could add one of these. Or if you don't have the head end you can get their display.

I've always thought they were the perfect instrument for our small boats. A very compact unit with no moving parts.

http://www.maretron.com/products/wso100.php?ref=cwa

fthefireman · Post by **fthefireman** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:40 pm

I have a 2003 m and i have trailered several times vane has never came off have hit 65 mph.
This is my first post although i read on the forum daily.

Mod's note: Welcome aboard, fthefireman!
You can add "2003 26M" just after "Louisiana" in your member profile .. -fc

Night Sailor · Post by **Night Sailor** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:33 pm

I use the Windex 15 with anti bird spike and rely on it for night sailing on a lake full of hazards and shifty winds because it takes a lot less light, for a shorter period of time, to see the reflective tape on the vane compared to the tape on the tacking indidcators. I set course with it and the GPS or reference to some visuals, but trim sails and adjust according to helm and sheet feel or sound, just as in daylight. Wind shadows or ripple are just not visible at night.

Near shore, especially, say within 150 ft., the higher position of the mast top vane is often a more accurate indicator of what is to be expected once rounding a point of land.

I remove or replace it before bolting the mast on the pulpit.

c130king · Post by **c130king** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:59 pm

Is anybody else using these:

Wind-Tels Telltales

I put one on each side and they work very well for me.

Jim

(* On Edit: Thanks to Kevin for tip on how to shorten the URL *)

delevi · Post by **delevi** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:24 pm

Is anybody else using these:

Wind-Tels Telltales

Yeah, I had a pair of those. Didn't like them and after trailer once w/o removing them, the wires were never the same and I could never get the angle just right. I replaced them with the red tape-streamer thingies for $8/two pairs at West Marine which I like a lot better, an still have on my shourds, but I also wanted a wind vane at the masthead. However, I wasn't planning on traveling with a step ladder when taking the boat somehwere. I have to pack enough crap as it is.

Captain Steve · Post by **Captain Steve** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:25 pm

Towed to the San Juans from So Cal and back no problem!!

hiram6 · Post by **hiram6** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:17 am

Never had a problem with mine on the road, but twice have broken off part of it on low hanging trees in my neighborhood. Ouch!! Thought both times "hey I should take that thing off so I don't break it again. Nah, I'll just make sure to dodge those trees" Then I get home, and I've got 1/2 a Windex again. Crap!!

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:57 pm

They sound like 'kerplop' when they disappear into Davy Jones Locker...and they taste like chicken...or was it piping plover???

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:50 pm

My biggest problem with windexes is kids! I had mine on my boat for 3 years, then the mast broke and the top of the mast hit the water hard enough to bend the metal antena....but....the windex did not break. I took the mast off and put it on my trailer at the side of the house. Next day, the kids go out on the scooters and are riding around the trailer. I go over to it 5 minutes later and the windex is broken in half and the pointing indicators are bent 180 degrees over. I never could get any of them to admit to doing it!

ALX357 · Post by **ALX357** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:27 pm

I'm with Duane .... wind-vane not needed .... although I have one, came with used boat, it never gets attached, always forgot to put on, never missed it. Like he said, what good is it , when you can't pinch and shouldn't anyway. If you want to know how close to a full 90 degree tack you can limit the Mac to, just pick a LANDmark that is in line with the transom, across the stern perpendicular to the before heading, and compare your course after the tack to the point you sighted across the transom.

eric3a · Post by **eric3a** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:26 pm

delevi · Post by **delevi** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:49 pm

Like he said, what good is it , when you can't pinch and shouldn't anyway.

Don't quite agree with that Alex. I found a great technique for beating upwind in heavy air. I've done this with full sails and approx 25 knts wind. It goes something like this:

1.Flatten both sails as much as possible.
2. Sheet in the vang hard.
3. Bring Traveler about 2/3 to center
4. Sheet in main & jib hard
5. Crank down the backstay hard
6. Pinch. This is the tricky part. You have to be right on the pinch threshold. Just when heel reduces but before the sails start to luff. You sort of have to stay in this groove. While you can maintain it, the heeling angle will be around 20 degrees and the boat will still maintain 5-6 knts speed. Once set, the sheets don't need much attention so you can put all your effort towards steering and staying "in the zone" or "in the groove" or whatever you want to call it. This keeps you really close to the wind, yet keeps heeling down significantly and avoids having to reef. You'll loose a couple of MPH but if your course is upwind, it's a good case for VMG and avoids the hassle of reefing. I used this several times with good results.

Leon

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Trailering with Wind Vane