[bolger] Homemade Steering Vanes
Hello from Rain City USA!
One of the best sources for information on home-building various styles of
wind-vanes is contained in Bill Belcher's book of some years ago, now out of
print, but still obtainable on the used market. My copy has almost fallen
apart and also early on has been dropped overboard once. I've pasted in the
description from the dust jacket into this message BELOW my sig.
Another good vane for homebuilders is one that I've used on a couple
designs. I 'borrowed' the idea from a guy who was trying to market
wind-vanes back in the late sixties or early seventies. I've been slowly
re-drawing and re-specifying this vane into a package which the home builder
can use to build such an item using off the shelf parts, and when and if I
get it done will put it on Private Postings for anyone who wants it, but
don't hold your breath, there's lots of projects in front of that. However
if you want to see what the vane looks like, click on the following URL.
http://www.boatdesign.com/tbird2.htm
Cheers!
Chuck
***********************************
CHUCK MERRELL
MERRELL WATERCRAFT
P. O. Box 80264
Seattle, WA 98108-0264
(206) 764-1298
Email:chuck@...
Web Site:http://www.boatdesign.com
**********************************
Wind-Vane
SELF- STEERING
Bill Belcher
If you have ever sailed singlehanded or shorthanded, you've no doubt longed
for an extra pair of hands on board. Self-steering gear provides that extra
assistance, and Bill Belcher, a trained engineer and experienced yachtsman,
pro-vides you with this book full of both theoretical and practical
information on the subject.
All the steering gear designs described in Wind- Vane Self-Steering have
been made and used by Belcher on his voyages. He stresses simplicity,
because "the sea will always find out the weak spots, and the more
complicated the gear, the more weak spots there will be." And when it comes
to repair, the value of simplicity speaks for itself.
Belcher is his own best advertisement on the subject of durability. On one
occasion, two consecutive waves rolled his yacht 360 degrees and tossed her
onto a reef. The boat was badly damaged but, although the vane gear had been
broken away from the pushpit, it ended up unharmed, floating alongside.
The commendation of a leading authority on self-steering indicates the
significance of Belcher's work. H.G. ("Blondie") Hasler, pioneer of
wind-vane gear, writes in the Foreword to Wind-Vane Self-Steering: "For the
reader who wants concise and clear instructions on how to plan and build his
own vane-steering gear, this is just about the best book I've yet seen, and
I would gladly go to sea with any of the gears he recommends."
About the Author
Bill Belcher trained and worked as an engineer, fought on the Republican
side in the Spanish Civil War and served in bombers with the RAF during
World War II. He now lives in New Zealand and writes on sailing matters,
including an autobiography largely concerned with ocean voyaging.
Published by International Marine Publishing Company 1982
One of the best sources for information on home-building various styles of
wind-vanes is contained in Bill Belcher's book of some years ago, now out of
print, but still obtainable on the used market. My copy has almost fallen
apart and also early on has been dropped overboard once. I've pasted in the
description from the dust jacket into this message BELOW my sig.
Another good vane for homebuilders is one that I've used on a couple
designs. I 'borrowed' the idea from a guy who was trying to market
wind-vanes back in the late sixties or early seventies. I've been slowly
re-drawing and re-specifying this vane into a package which the home builder
can use to build such an item using off the shelf parts, and when and if I
get it done will put it on Private Postings for anyone who wants it, but
don't hold your breath, there's lots of projects in front of that. However
if you want to see what the vane looks like, click on the following URL.
http://www.boatdesign.com/tbird2.htm
Cheers!
Chuck
***********************************
CHUCK MERRELL
MERRELL WATERCRAFT
P. O. Box 80264
Seattle, WA 98108-0264
(206) 764-1298
Email:chuck@...
Web Site:http://www.boatdesign.com
**********************************
Wind-Vane
SELF- STEERING
Bill Belcher
If you have ever sailed singlehanded or shorthanded, you've no doubt longed
for an extra pair of hands on board. Self-steering gear provides that extra
assistance, and Bill Belcher, a trained engineer and experienced yachtsman,
pro-vides you with this book full of both theoretical and practical
information on the subject.
All the steering gear designs described in Wind- Vane Self-Steering have
been made and used by Belcher on his voyages. He stresses simplicity,
because "the sea will always find out the weak spots, and the more
complicated the gear, the more weak spots there will be." And when it comes
to repair, the value of simplicity speaks for itself.
Belcher is his own best advertisement on the subject of durability. On one
occasion, two consecutive waves rolled his yacht 360 degrees and tossed her
onto a reef. The boat was badly damaged but, although the vane gear had been
broken away from the pushpit, it ended up unharmed, floating alongside.
The commendation of a leading authority on self-steering indicates the
significance of Belcher's work. H.G. ("Blondie") Hasler, pioneer of
wind-vane gear, writes in the Foreword to Wind-Vane Self-Steering: "For the
reader who wants concise and clear instructions on how to plan and build his
own vane-steering gear, this is just about the best book I've yet seen, and
I would gladly go to sea with any of the gears he recommends."
About the Author
Bill Belcher trained and worked as an engineer, fought on the Republican
side in the Spanish Civil War and served in bombers with the RAF during
World War II. He now lives in New Zealand and writes on sailing matters,
including an autobiography largely concerned with ocean voyaging.
Published by International Marine Publishing Company 1982