SmallCraftAdvisor.com

Hi all --new to the forum, but I've browsed SCA on and off for a while...finally bought a small craft last fall, to "replace" the old 33 footer! I bought a Cal 20, which I've completely re-rigged for singlehanding (I've read, with great interest, Robert Crawford's book 'Blackfeathers', on refitting his Cal 20 or singlehanding sailing/racing.

Just curious if anyone has any advice/references for small windvanes suitable for a boat like the Cal 20 with a transom-mounted rudder. I'd like to be able to make one, if at all possible, since I don't have a big budget. Robert Crawford put a Monitor vane on his boat for the singlehanded race to Hawaii that he did, but I can't afford one --I'm sure there must be small build-able vanes out there, suitable for transom-rudder mounted boats? I've already had a look at Bill Belcher's classic book on self-steering (this one: http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Vane-Self-St ... 0877421587 ) but didn't see any designs suitable for a transom-mounted rudder.

Does anyone else have any ideas/references, etc.? Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Jud

Hi,

First make sure your craft sails with "two fingers on the tiller". If you have a balanced boat, it will be easy enought to rig up a self steering system using surgical tubing. Depending on wind conditions determines how many you use etc. There is a whole book on the subject, but for the life of me I can't recall the title...getting old I guess. lol.

The surgical tubing method can actually work quite well, not quite as good as an expensive windvane, but cheaper and easier to maintain and fix yourself.

Good luck!

Maybe you're thinking of the self steering book by John Leather? I can't put my hands on the book at the moment, but I believe he was the author. There's also a book called The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook by Bill Morris. We don't sell either title. —Eds

Maybe Self-Steering for Sailing Craft by John S. Letcher Jr.

JT

That's the one. Thanks, Jesse. At least the one we had in mind.