Evanston: modern sculpture
Evanston: modern sculpture
I hesitate to write about this because I don’t want to appear to be soliciting donations, but if you’ve been around here a while I expect you know that is not my way.
You will also be aware that I have been undecided about whether to put a self-steering vane on GANNET.
The negatives are weight on the stern, drag from the servo-rudder while underway, having to reinforce the transom, and having to find a different position to mount the outboard bracket. Also GANNET is capable of speeds that a vane may not be able to respond to quickly enough.
The advantages are having a self-steering device that is more powerful than a tiller pilot, requires no electricity, is silent--during my night sail on GANNET the sound of the tiller pilot was unnatural and unwelcome, waterproof, steers by wind angle, and can control the boat under bare poles in the heaviest weather, a significant safety factor.
Tiller pilots and wind vanes both have their virtues, and I’ve had both aboard RESURGAM and THE HAWKE OF TUONELA. Tiller pilots excel under power, with spinnakers set in light air, in left-over seas following strong wind, and in steering a compass course, usually close to land.
I said yesterday that I’m making this next voyage up as I go along; so when a couple of weeks ago, Dayton, a small boat sailor with whom I’ve exchanged emails at intervals for the past three years, offered to give GANNET and me the piece of sculpture above, which is actually the main assembly of a Norvane 12, because his own sailing plans had been changed by conditions beyond his control, I thought for a few hours and then gratefully accepted.
Since making that decision, I’ve had no second thoughts.
Wind vanes have steered my boats, except for CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE, the vast majority of the time. On RESURGAM and THE HAWKE OF TUONELA probably 95% or more. On GANNET I expect it will be almost as high, though to get the most out of her I might--horrors--actually have to steer some myself.
Tomorrow I’ll take the Norvane up to add to GANNET’s cluttered interior for the ride west.
Thank you, Dayton. I’ll do my best to put this particular piece of sculpture to good use.
Friday, October 5, 2012