“Shorthanded crews don’t steer offshore. Before we got our wind-vane, we had no self-steering on one passage after our electric pilot failed. That passage lasted three days - but it seemed like three weeks!” Beth Leonard, The Voyager’s Handbook.
I can relate to Beth’s experience. Our first sailboat, Sandpiper was not fitted with self-steering and even on an 8 hr journey up the bay I found myself often looking for someone else to take the helm for a break.
“Many cruisers augment their steering with wind-vane self-steering. There is no question that the servo-pendulum type is the most effective. I would not consider any other type for offshore work” Nigel Calder’s Cruising Handbook.
Bristol Rose is fitted with a top quality Simrad Robertson AP 22 Autopilot which works great. The Autopilot is a drain on the 12 Volt power system and that is a concern on an ocean passage under sail. I wouldn't want to run the engine to compensate.
After some months of consideration I have ordered a Monitor Self Steering Windvane from Kopi from Scanmar International. Jay from Annapolis Rigging will fit it.
I selected Monitor for a number of reasons:
- The design is well proven, the first Monitor was made in 1975
- The Monitor design seems to be the least intrusive, I really liked the Cape Horn but fitting it to a Shannon 43 looks difficult.
- A number of Shannon 43's have Monitor Windvanes fitted, so I know it will work.
Photo courtesy of Scanmar International
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