Got a Navik windvane for my CD-25...

[Didereaux]

Eat your hearts out all you lake sailors(tiny lakes, not great ones grin). Santa was delayed this year! Walked into our local Broken Boat Store and what did I find being placed on a display table...a like new, complete, even the tech guide was with it...Navik windvane for 30' and below boats. This is the vane that was used on the 32 Contessa that went the wrong way around Cape Horn a few years back.

Such things are so far out of my price range I didn't even ask at first what price the consignor had on it. Left, stayed awake most of the night thinking about it and went back this morning. I ask the store owner what the price was, and what the seller might be talked into going down too (hey, fodder for daydreams, right?). He said " Make an offer and I'll call the guy." So I thought okay, I'll make a rediculously, stupidly, even outrageously low offer and then when the consignor got done laughing the store guy could ask what the guy was really willing to go down to.

A few minutes later the phone rang and the store owner yelled across the room " Hey! You just bought yourself a windvane!"

I won't publish the price, to tell you the truth I am half embarassed at having made such a silly offer. Hey, a guy has to get lucky once or twice in a lifetime, right? ;)

Anyway, the thing will mount up on the Cape Dorys with no modifications, but I am having a friend who does SS welding and fabrication to build me a special mounting set up that I think will be stronger and perhaps even look a little better on the back of the CD-25. Probably a month to six weeks before it all is mounted and ready for a trial.

This adds quite a bit more certainty to my making the Gulf trip hopefully later this year. Most certainly will do some 1-200 mile jaunts offshore and down the coast...damn storms permitting.

Oh, yeah, did get in some more sheet-to-tiller testing. Found out that the sail balance is even more critical than I, and some others had thought. Change out from my somewhat stretched 130 down to a 100 working jib, reefed the main once and the balnce was nearly perfect in 10-15...somewhat slower of course, but both jib shett and main sheet worked sucessfully from close haul to almost a traing run. Was VERY pleased with the results. Rigged pretty much exactly as Todd Mills and I had been doing all along, it was simply the sail balance was off just enough to cause the erratic behavior. I'd bet a donut or beer that is the root of the majority of failures that many of us have been having with sheet to tiller arrangements.

Been awhile since I posted anything, three circumstances met head on to aid in the decision to be scarse for a bit. 1. Family medical emergency...coming out well, thank goodness. 2. Weather permitted some off-shore fun on my buddy the 'Mad Brits' big tri. and 3. the appearance of some jackasses on this board, they seem to have crawled back under rocks and such.

So, the unofficial 'Voice of the Tiny Boat, folk is BACK! LOL

did

[Neil Gordon]

... and 3. the appearance of some jackasses on this board, ...

I didn't "appear." I've been here the whole time.

Nice to see you back!

[Oswego John]

Yo Didereaux

Good to hear from you again. I'm really glad.

There are a few familiar names that we all know that haven't posted in a long while. I won't mention any names, nothing to be gained by doing so. But I do think about them and hope that there is nothing wrong.

Maybe it's not a bad idea to take an electronic pulse check on them from time to time, maybe for them to merely say "Hi" to let us know that all is well .

Well, what the hey, good to hear from the old curmudgeon again.

O J

[tartansailor]

Dider you old pirate, congratulations on your "Find" Now you can do the kind of serious cruising that alot of us dream about. Good luck with your new wind vane.
Oh by the way, people on the board are saying that you are an old curmudgeon!

I did not tell them!!

Dick

[Didereaux]

LOL
Curmudgeon. curmudgeon, CURMUDGEON! Has kind of a nice ring to it, I think! Sorta rolls off the tongue. heheh Shoot! Another project. Aren't curmudgeons usually armed with cudgels? Now I have to find me a good briar branch to whittle up.

thanks dick! ;)

OJ I PMed you!<grin>

[Mike Johnson]

welcome back and congrats on your find.

[Richard G.]

I have a Navik which I have been wanting to mount on my CD 27 for some time. Would love to share your ideas on how you will mount, run lines to tiller and attach to same. Just had the paddle and the vane repainted with awlgrip and no time to drill the holes for the tubes and support braces.

[Didereaux]

Richard,
Great! I'd love to compare notes before punching holes. Prabably will be a week or two before I get some firmed up measurements. Will try to make cardboard mockups and tape in place before drawing them up to build.

As it sits right now there is a center brace straight down that would fit right where a ladder mount fits(the ladder is one of those single tube affairs with the steps angled out. It came with the boat, so I kept the mounting plate in place. Although a useable thing, it would not be particularly missed if I have to remove it.

What I am contemplating is widening the distance between the two upper braces, and also the lowers, at the same time going to thick walled tube. I am sure that the originals are sufficient, but to be honest I like security of mind, more than security of fact, heh.

Also I want to make certain that all things, clear the motor hatch, especially the control lines. If necessary I will modify that hatch as well. Of course that is of no concern on your boat...lucky you. heh

Just as soon as I get something concrete I'll send it your way. Which vane model have you got? Does it have four braces, two upper and two lower, or just two upper and a centered lower one?

did

[Dean Abramson]

Didireaux,

Welcome back and congrats on the great find!

I am buying a boat (survey permitting) which includes a Sailomat vane, so I will be on this same learning curve too. I am really looking forward to playing with it. I have no vane experience so far. Fortunately, this one has already been installed and rigged, so I'm hoping the seller did it well.

Didireaux and Richard, I would love to hear how things progress. Once I start playing with mine, I will report in.

I will also be moving from a sloop to a twin headsail rig. So if you see a Maine Cape Dory doing donuts this summer, that will be me learning about balance. I would love to hear any comments related to the Sailomat 600.

Dean aka JA

[Joe Myerson]

Great to have you back onboard, and congratulations on your find. I'm turning green with envy, and I'm going to miss your comments on learning how to make do with sheet-to-tiller steering.

Like many others here, I just can't justify the expense of a real windvane, so I'm trying to tinker with all those pulleys, cam levers and lines in an attempt to get by with what I've got.

I'm sure you'll keep us posted on the progress of your installation.

Fair winds,

--Joe

[Didereaux]

Joe,
That windvane is just a security blanket for me. No way I trust a single something, those things break. SO far as I can determine a line to the tiller is more reliable and easier to fix. heh

GPS=easy sextant=security
windvane=easy sheets2tiller=security

I will continue working hard until i get that aspect down as firmly as I can for this boat. Besides, rigging the lines to the tiller really is a big ego booster! <grin> anybody can buy a vane...

[Stephan Howden]

Hi,
The previous owner of my CD25 installed a Navik. I am on travel until next Monday, but when I get home I can take some photos of the installation if you are interested.
-Stephan

[Didereaux]

Photos would be especially helpful. If possible could you show the inside of the motor well in order that I could see where they cut thru approximately for the backing plates on the mounts. That looks to be the biggest problem at this point.

Many thanks in advance.

[Richard G.]

Unit that I have has two support rods off the rear of the U bracket.

[Stephan Howden]

Sorry for my late reply. I now have my photos of the Navik installation posted at
http://homepage.mac.com/howdenss/PhotoAlbum3.html
First of all, I have to apologize for the mold on the boat and the condition of some of the not-so-brightwork. I had been working on the wood last summer before Katrina hit and I have not been able to find time to get back to the job since then. My boat is moored up a bayou on the northshore of lake Pontchartrain. Fortunately, the only damage the boat sustained was broken wood supports for the solar panel on the stern rail. These photos are not the best. If anyone is interested I can take some photos of the stern from my kayak. I could also take some photos with the covers of the round hatches in the engine well removed. Let me know if you have any questions.
-Stephan