CD 28 Cape Horn Self-Steering Installed

[BarbofCapeCod]

We just had a Cape Horn Self-Steering wind vane installed on our CD 28, so this is an initial report.

After the installation, which took a day and was done by a person from Cape Horn, Eric, we went out the following day for a test sail with Eric and another Cape Dory 28 owner.

First, let me say the thing is beautiful, all highly polished, heavy stainless steel with a nicely finished teak rudder. It also has relatively low mass, which in no way affects the lines of the boat, unlike some "oil derrick" rigs we considered. Also, the installation was done with great care, assuring the angles were perfect, especially the worrisome moment when cutting the hole in the hull. The lines from the vane to the tiller lay perfectly, without touching any part of the deck or cockpit. With an arrangement of three blocks, each of two lines is run from the gear to the aft-most side of the cockpit and then along the aft side the cockpit to the tiller, resulting in good leverage and minimal friction with almost no restriction of cockpit usage, except you could not sit at the very aft part of the cockpit bench where one of the blocks is located.

(By the way, the hull was surprisingly heavily laid up where the cut was made, a few inches below the transom and just above the engine control panel at the aft part of the cockpit. The plug was bit over 5/8" thick.)

When we first went out the next day, there were very light winds, 5 knots and less. I must confess, despite Eric's assurances, I thought we would have to wait for the winds to pickup to get a test. However, apparently because we have a tiller and a system of lines and blocks with little friction, we were able to self-steer on all points of sail in light airs with no problem. After a quick demo by Eric, we took over.

What was really amazing was her downwind performance, with almost no apparent wind speed: the boat tracked perfectly with the wind dead astern, main out to port with no preventer and a 160 % genoa to starboard with no pole, the boat ghosting along at about 1.5 knots for over 15 minutes before we did other tests. During that time, the genoa began collapsing twice, but then refilled. Once we were confident the main could be sheeted in a little without jibbing, we adjusted the main aft, which spilled more air into the genoa, and it never collapsed again for the rest of that test.

What I particularly like is the adjustment feature, which allows you to move the wind vane at its base, while it is engaged, to select a new relative wind direction you wish the Cape Horn to maintain the boat on. This is done without having to lock or unlock anything, you just reach up and turn the base of the vane. Once this adjustment is made by the twist of the wrist, the gear heads the boat up or off the wind to position the boat at the new relative wind angle selected.

For example, suppose you want to change the heading of the boat from a broad reach to head up into the wind as high as possible. What you do is turn the wind vane base to point higher up the boat, which determines the new relative wind angle the Cape Horn will maintain, and then you adjust the sails as the vane brings the boat up. If you point the vane too high, you move the vane base back slightly to fall off a bit. This adjustment takes just a moment to reach up and do, so your chief focus is on the sails and the boat's heading. The gear itself requires no other attention whatsoever.

To tack, you move the vane base to its reciprocal position, and, as the wind vane brings the boat about, you change the sheets. It was amazingly easy, although Eric assured us it becomes even easier with additional practice. Later, the winds picked up to about 10 to 15 knots and we found the boat to be increasingly responsive and quicker to settle into a new sailing attitude.

Over and over again, with each test, the other Cape Dory 28 owner and I stood about on the deck with nothing to do, frankly amazed as the boat steered itself, maintaining the heading we set.

So, with the Cape Horn doing the steering, you can give your full attention to adjusting the sails. Or, after adjusting the sails, you can then finely adjust the Cape Horn wind vane to modify the position of the boat to take better advantage of a given sail setting. Since the wind vane base adjustment moves smoothly and stops precisely, the boat can be positioned relative to the wind with surprising ease and precision.

In over two hours of testing, we never handled the tiller, except once, when, in really light air, we had to push the tiller hard over to get the boat to complete coming about.

To my question about how I maintain the system properly, Eric's answer: nothing, no oiling, no adjusting, nothing. "Oh", he added as an afterthought, "if the lines wear at all, you should consider replacing them and possibly adjusting the blocks." We shall see.

On a more subjective note, as a former engineer, what appealed to me about the design was its simplicity, the economy of mass, the quality of material, and an elegance of solution. In effect, rather than building onto the boat a massive structure to muscle the boat about and handle the resulting stresses, the Cape Horn becomes an integrated part of the boat, actually strengthening the boat structurally rather than burdening it, performing the one essential task of a guidance system, which is to direct the existing forces without adding to them.

Finally, after months of researching and then trying to imagine using the gear selected, what struck me most in actual use on our first day was how astoundingly simple it was. And now we look forward to freedom from the "tyranny of the tiller", making using our boat even more of a pleasure.

While we have had just this one day experience with the gear, I am both impressed and delighted.

[mgphl52]

Please post some pictures! I am truly impressed and would like to see how it looks. If you would like, email me the pictures and I will be happy to post them for you.

Thanks,

-michael

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

We are looking at putting a wind vane on our CD 31. We would like opinions on all of them. I guess Monitor is the big dog on the block but what does that mean? We know where there is an older Monitor (1989) and Scanmar said it is an old styles ant there has been changes since then such as they went from 304 SS to 316 SS. Also he said the gears are beefed up. Hum????Then again he said there are 30 year old units sill working out there. How much did you have invested in your Cape Horn? Then there are the Aries vanes. Has anyone owned one?

Thanks

Kevin

[Ben Thomas]

http://www.capehorn.com/

Several years ago I purchased Yves DVD on his circumnavigation, Wanted The cape horn unit ever since.
Ben

[Paul D.]

The cape horn would be the unit I install on Femme. Ever since hand steering across the Tasman in an Atkins Ingrid, I have always wanted self steering. After reading everything, playing with a monitor in the San Juans and considering an autopilot, I kept coming back to the cape horn.

An added piece is that Yves designed the thing for his Alberg 30, a boat with an almost identical hull shape as most of ours. I think the design is solid and well thought out and might I add, elegant.

Someday! Till then, it's the old Benmar Cetek with its wild personality and working tabbing - at least till the weather gets heavy.

Paul

[Duncan]

I'm in the "wannabe" category, too, never having sailed with a Cap Horn, but looking forward it. Like any sailboat owner, I like things that look good, and work great, and I think the Cap Horn fills the bill.

Yves Gelinas lives up here in Montreal, which is a big plus for me, of course. A friend of mine got one two seasons ago, and Yves came over and helped him install it. No charge (and actually he got a 'nice price' because he bought it in the slow season).

He's delighted with the vane (on an Albin Vega).

My impression is that the design and the engineering is superb. I think that the guarantee for "one circumnavigation" is brilliant.

All that to say, I guess, that I am delighted to see a review which confirms my prejudices

[fenixrises]

Hi all,

As many of you know I started out with a homemade windvane aboard Fenix. Would have used it to complete the trip had not a good deal on an old Aries fell into my "cockpit".

The Aries worked fine though a bit heavy I think at 75lbs. .

The Cape Horn looks to be a fine unit but I did not see one installed on a boat anywhere. Monitors predominated though I did see a number of other units installed.

But a new windvane is still a $3~4,000 investment. That's a lot of money for a $100,000 boat and out of line for a $25,000 boat.

I still favor a homemade unit for cost effectivness. There is one designed and shown on this sight

http://www.mindspring.com/~waltmur/Self-Steering/

It is every bit as robust as any commercial unit and will steer a better course because of its "Upsidedown Vane". I think the unit could be built in 316SS by anyone competent with hands tools for less than $1,000.

And unless my next boat comes with a vane I will build my own like the one shown above.

Even for daysailing a windvane is a great idea, for a single hander a necessesity.

An additional plus is that a small inexpesive A/P can be coupled to a windvane and will steer the boat effortlessly in almost any condition.

Take care,
Fred

[seadog6532]

We just mounted an Aries on Arianna during our haul out and will be finishing up the install this weekend if the weather is good. We got a great deal on a used unit at a consignment shop. It is a little heavy but very solid and well built. We hope to put a video on youtube when we have it all done and in use.

The unit came without the wheel adapter, so we ordered the adapter from the Monitor because it was about $80.00 less than the Aries unit and works the same. Also, getting the stock for the mounting tubes was hard to find the right size (1 1/2") and very expensive "$19.00 per foot plus shipping" but we found (1 5/8") for $34.00 for 8 feet at a local metal fab shop. We had mounts made from solid aluminum and an adapter made to fit the oversize tube to the frame. total we have about $1500.00 in the unit including parts, machining, and materials.

Mark and Anna of Arianna CD30K #112

[barfwinkle]

Here is a link to an outgrowth of Walter Murrury's site listed by Fred.

http://www.cruisenews.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=62

FW

[BarbofCapeCod]

Please post some pictures! I am truly impressed and would like to see how it looks. If you would like, email me the pictures and I will be happy to post them for you.

Thanks,

-michael

These pictures were taken by Éric Sicotte of Cape Horn right after installation.

The gear is slightly off center, but straight up and down, because of structural hardware below the aft deck amidships prevented installation on the center line. My concern about this was relieved when tests showed no bias between tacks and by the fact that the steering is really done by the boat's rudder.

I plan to post some additional pictures in the future with the boat underway and at anchor to show both the wind vane and paddle in those configurations.



Above picture: stern (The boat's name is being changed to Kudu and port to Cape Cod)



Above picture: from the side, without wind vane or paddle.



Above picture: cockpit lines; note small round fitting above instrument panel, which is the forward part of gear installed through the stern and on through the cockpit bulkhead, is used for an electronic autopilot control attachment.



Above picture: paddle deployed and underway. The line from the post to the paddle is a "fail-safe" recovery line, present because the paddle attachment is designed to kick up, and ultimately release, if struck by a solid object.

[Boyd]

That is a really clean installation. Simplicity itself.

How do you raise the teak paddle from the water?

Does having it in the water when the wind vane is not in use affect the steering ability of the boat?

Thanks
Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

[Joe Myerson]

Thanks for posting those pics.

I talked with Yves Gelinas in Annapolis a few years ago and fantasized about having a Cape Horn installed on my boat. After seeing your photos, my interest is rekindled (although, unfortunately, my wallet is not at this point).

--Joe

[BarbofCapeCod]

That is a really clean installation. Simplicity itself.

How do you raise the teak paddle from the water?

Does having it in the water when the wind vane is not in use affect the steering ability of the boat?

Thanks
Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

There is a fail-safe line with which you lift it up and, in our case, it is then captured by another line attached to the life line.

I have no idea about the paddle's behavior in the water or its effect on the boat when not in use, although it must be different depending on whether the wind vane is present and if it is aligned with the wind. As a new and inexperience Cape Horn owner, I not the one to give you authoritative information so I suggest you contact Cape Horn directly at: http://www.caphorn.com




Image above: This is the gear "parked" when not in use, with the paddle retracted and wind vane stored below.

[BarbofCapeCod]

One issue with CD-28 installation is the limited room on the cockpit aft bulkhead because of the engine instrument panel as well as the limited space between the hull and cockpit bulkhead. So the installation is a rather tight fit with little margin for error.

To accommodate this, the hole in the hull was higher than it would have been, causing a paddle to rotate on a higher axis above the water. See other installation examples at the Cape Horn site http://www.capehorn.com/sections/Connec ... ctions.htm compared to the picture of our CD-28 installation below.

In addition, instead of the normal quadrant in the cockpit or "below", a smaller fitting for the control arm, for an electronic autopilot adapter, is used to allow the Plexiglas engine control panel cover to open.



All of this caused me no end of angst as Cape Horn adjusted the "standard" installation to accommodate the CD-28's particularities. In fact, one of the things I liked most about dealing with Cape Horn was their method of dealing with issues. They would bring up one issue after another as we reviewed the scores of pictures I sent as well as the dimensions I took and retook. They would say "we have a problem with X because of Y, so we will get back to you on this." Then in a day or so, they would contact me with a resolution.

Forgive the rotation, here is a fuller view of the stern installation position:



Image above: shows the stern position of the Cape Horn gear.

We are going to be taking a week's sail starting this weekend, so we'll likely have more to report about how we did using the Cape Horn on our own.

[Evergreen]

Does anyone have a Cape Horn with wheel steering? Does it become impossible to use the aft cockpit locker for anything other than gear associated with the Cape Horn unit????