Wind vane self steering for transom-mounted rudder sailboat

[Jud]

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

[dave]

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!

[Editors]

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

[JesseTate]

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

JT

[Editors]

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