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Quotes from
satisfied CapeHorn Users
People who write to us not only say that the CapeHorn worked well: they
write that it worked better than they expected, or better than other
windvanes.
Hello Yves and Eric
(...) I have only been out for one trial-- about 2 hours and on most points
of sail in relatively light winds. The result: Wow! This thing is really
neat. Even on my first trial, I didn't have much trouble getting it set up
correctly. A bit of yawing when close hauled (once it over-corrected and put
us into irons) but I made some adjustments and all seemed fine after that.
Its too bad winter is coming because I really want to go sailing now!
Thanks
Seth
Seth Macinko, Home Soverel
33-1, Nov 2016
Hi Yves
It has been long time since I previously wrote to you from Finland. Sorry
about the long silence!
(...) But the most brightest moment was when I first time connected the
winvane and it started to steer. I just sat there and wished that moment to
last longer! (...)
The gear was manufactured with very very exact quality of measures and that
represents the professionalism! In the attached picture you can notice that
the waterline is high, becouse all tanks are empthy and the gear is not
loaded. Becouse the measures are so exact it was possible to made a bracket
straight to stern pushpit, which allows to fin tune the friction of bearings
with alignment and very clear and beautiful installation (...)
With kind regards
Simo
Simo Nyrönen, 31 ft Aluminum
Sloop, July 2016
Bonjour Yves,
Just wanted to give you an update. I
installed the cap horn jean du sud on my Vega a few months ago. And
worked on upgrading other system for a few more months after that. But I
finally left Berkeley California and on my way South to San Diego,
Mexico...
I'm very impressed by the vane! Worked
fantastically the second I hooked it up! It's probably the only thing I
put on my boat that worked right away with nothing to tweak. So thank
you. I'm excited to keep on sailing around the world with it.
Best,
Nico
Nicolas Timmerman,
Yellow Feather Albin Vega, October 2015
 After
sailing 33 000 miles single-handed around the world with the CapeHorn at the
tiller, I can say that it is indefatigable! I trusted it so much that in
light air, under spinnaker, I would climb up the mast to shoot some
pictures. Thank you Mr Gélinas for such a marvel. Without it, it would
have been impossible to complete the voyage.
Sylvain Fortier, Sigma 30 Loreline,
January 2015
Hello again Yves!
Thank You again for the superb Cape Horn windvane.
I mounted the unit early this summer and in the beginning of July I tried it
in the Baltic sea for the first time. It took just a couple of minutes to
understand the function and it steers superb! A complete straight line for
hours…It seems to be perfect for my Allegro 33. It’s a perfect
help onboard when singlehanded. And so easy to understand. I took some
photos and a movie. Do you want me to send it?
Jan Wisten, Allegro 33
Confidence, September 2014
Hey Yves,
The Cape Horn has been installed for a few months now. So far it has taken
me from San Francisco to Morro Bay. I'm heading down to
Santa Barbara shortly. It works in everything from barely any wind to 30
knots so far.
Here are some photos of the installation. I made a fiberglass gasket for it
on the transom and put some gelcoat over it to make it look nice and pretty.
I installed some preventer lines on the rudder that keep the rudder from
ever banging into the wind vane, as well as offer good protection for the
rudder against heavy following seas. I don't have it setup with control
lines around the entire boat, so I just tied some line around the adjuster
neck to add some friction as suggested in the manual.
Thank you again for the wind vane, it's a great piece of equipment!
Hollin Wilkins,
Contessa 26 Freya, August
2014
 Just a note from the North Atlantic to say
how pleased we are with our Toucana. We have now
completed passages from Florida to Bermuda and from Bermuda to the Azores
and are currently underway from the Azores to the UK.
The wind steering has worked flawlessly on all points of sail and in a wide
variety of wind and sea states.
Thanks for a job well done.
Barrie
Letts, Tradewind 34 Passat II, June 2014
Hello
Yves
Better late than never. Your installation is serving us well, the Cape Horn
is an elegant piece of engineering.
Tim
Jones, Tartan C34 JACOB NAGLE, January 2014
Bonjour Yves,
You will recall that Thistle is our 1980 Valiant 37 Esprit and that your
vane was installed around 2005.
(...) The vane has worked
perfectly. (...) We have now sailed from Seattle to
Hawaii to Palmyra to Niuatoputapu to Vava'u to Opua to Great Barrier Island
(NZ) and most recently on to Tubuai and Raiatea.
We never had to hand steer or use the autopilot, although we never had winds
over 40 knots, no seas over 7 meters, and only 2 days on a drogue, in a
total of 75 days at sea so far. Next we sail from Tahiti to Hawaii in
November then back to Seattle in June of 2014 (...)
We love our Cape Horn! Thank you so much.
Jamie
Flowers, Valiant 37 Esprit THISTLE, July 2013
Hi Yves and Eric,
Just dropping you a note to say that I've finally installed the CH gear and
it works like magic!
Thanks so much,
David
Davidse, Alberg 35 ZEELANDIA, July 2013
Just thinking what a help and
of all the relief your CapeHorn steering provided on board "Malagueña"
sailing from Virginia to Ashkelon, Israel in 2010. The boat is still there
- a Cheoy Lee Offshore 41 ketch - for use with and by
men who have suffered
severe PTSD.
What a trip! Thanks again,
Ed
Vinson, June 2013
Hello,
These photos are about 8 years overdue but may be useful to someone. The
steering system is Edson Radial Drive. Jean de Sud is offset to one side of
the boarding ladder. Of note is that the transom tube was bolted directly to
the strongback structure that carries the upper rudder bearing. There is not
enough clearance in the lazarette to swing the quadrant upside down, but
with the stern ladder located beside the oar, it is a simple matter to
remove the oar. I think the servo-pendulum oar should be a few inches
longer because of heel geometry on starboard tack but in general it works
very well. Best money I ever spent on my boat!
James Legere, Hunter 37 Cutter CALYPSO, October 2012
Dear Yves and Éric
We used your windvane steering for the first time today. Worked like a charm!
(Wind 2-8, waves 2-5)
Thank you so much!
Marek Nowicki, SV RAIREVA2, Cape Vickers 35, September 2012
The CapeHorn performs perfectly. I have never met a better Helmsman. Unbelievable!
Chris Karo, SV KIMBERLY MARIE, Parker Dawson Midship 26, August 2010
|
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CapeHorn
rounding Cape Horn |
CapeHorn
rounding Cape Renard |
Sent from Ian Upsall, SV Persimon, Adams 40, early 2010
Hello Yves,
We did a sea trial on Thursday this week,
and the gear performed brilliantly. Holds course with autopilot input within ± 2 degrees, and
under sail while fore-reaching ±3-4 degrees at 6 knots in 13 apparent. Downwind we sailed
3.5 in 4.5 apparent, wing and wing without whisker pole, replicating the picture on your
website.
While this was only a few hours sailing, we are very excited about this performance. We are
departing tomorrow for a 16 day trip and will report back and include some pictures.
Meanwhile, thanks for all the pointers!
Best,
Ben
Hempstead, SV TRIUMPH, Mason 43, July 2009
Yves :
I tested out your windvane steering here across the Gulf of Mexico last week
for 315 miles from Pensacola to Venice, on my way to the Florida keys on my
33 Morgan Out Island with hydraulic steering. I just marvelled at it!
Ha! Ha! Ha!!! I can't believe somebody could come up with something like
that!!! I'm 53 and made a living as a welder and pipefitter working closely
with engineers my whole career, but this is the cleverest thing I have
ever seen! I love just to stare at it and watch it do its thing . So I
don't have to steer, simply amazing. The thing is so well thought out.
Like I said, it has to be the cleverest thing I believe I have seen. My hat
is off to you. What a mechanical genius! Thanks again,
Robert Allen, SV CARMEN, Morgan Out
Island 33, June 2009
Hello
Yves,
I have just over 4000 miles on the CapeHorn and it works perfectly.
I rarely ever touch the wheel. It is slightly disconcerting to guests
aboard, but they quickly adjust to avoiding the drudgery of the helm. I
think I am going to Mexico after the Bahamas but as my boat is named after
the God of Wandering who knows?
Thanks again,
Smooth Seas,
Your ardent supporter,
Captain
D. Quackenbush, Liveaboard Pearson 33 SV HERMES, Décember 2008
Bonjour
Yves,
I just wanted to send a quick note to comment you on the design and
manufacture of an esquisite piece of gear, the Cape Horn Spray. It
was my great pleasure to unpack my new, (through Chad Carvey), Spray a
couple of days ago and discover what everyone else has been raving about.
The workmanship and design are first rate and I am now looking
forward to installing and using it on my Hans Christian 43. Thanks for a
beautiful product!
Salut,
David Ingibergsson, Hans Christian 43T MKII
TAMBADIL, November 2008
Message
received Nov. 2008 :
"My
CapeHorn has finally arrived. I am very impressed with the finish on it,
It is very professional, compared to other products I have seen. It
looks as though it was made by a company that believes in its product,
and perfection.
Thank
you again for all the trouble you went to to ensure that I got it. It is
gong to be a pleasure using it. Kind regards
Received Feb. 2009 :
"I am so glad that I bought the Caphorn, I bought it as a backup to my
electronic autopilot for the Governors Cup Yacht Race, 1750+ nautical miles
from Cape Town to St Helena Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,
between Africa and South America. After the first day of sailing and using
my Auto Pilot, my motor packed up and I was left with no means to recharge
my batteries as much as the auto pilot consumed, so for the rest of the way
I used the CapHorn, it was marvellous, allowing me to get sleep while
racing Single Handed against crewed yachts, and still come second in
my class against these yachts.
It worked all the way, with me handsteering only in the lightest of
breezes below 4 knots downwind. The rest it steered, beating and
goosewinged, with spinnaker up, looking after me during
sail changes, the works, it was a real godsend, my mechanical, wind-driven
ship mate, that helmed far better than any crew member could have,
without complaining, requesting only a little attention and wind to be fed
on.
I have included a few photos, including the one of Moments approaching the
finish line.
Ian
Williams, Ultimate 30 MOMENTS
Written soon after installing the CapeHorn gear
:
"You
will recall that my vane is offset about 18inches from the centerline.
I have been eager to see if this affected anything because it appeared to
work well inshore on either tack. I can now confirm this after more than
200NM in winds varying from 3 to 26 knots (with higher gusts) at a variety
of angles. We have even sailed her overpowered, close hauled at 18-20kts
(doing 7->8kts) with the leeward gunwale in the water much of the
time and the oar a long way out of the water! Even stressed like this, I
could not tell the difference between either tack. There was still
plenty of power from the oar to steer.
We have sometimes been in 30kts on a 400NM leg with usually only one
person on watch and single-handed gybing/sailing is easy. We have been
sailing straight into the trade winds for the past week (and another week to
go) and Flinders [our CapeHorn gear] has faithfully followed every wind shift. Today we were
double reefed and close hauled in 20+ knots and heeled well over. With
the offset vane, the pendulum was well out of the water but there was no
deterioration in steering efficiency. Likewise, the wash off the
mainsail seems to cause no harm ('though I am sure it affects the absolute
angle of the vane)."
Message
received
in 2006
:
"My
CapeHorn is now about six years old and it continues to be the best addition we have made to our boat - ever.
That's the vote of my family! It has steered us through gales, storms,
knockdowns, dismasting & man-overboard in a huge range of wind conditions.
Recently, we were in dreadful weather with winds to 56 knots and we still
had the light air vane mounted (it was too late to take it off!) Of course,
the CapeHorn handled it all beautifully even though the vane was bent more
than a big banana."
Received in
2007 :
"We have completed almost 20,000NM and eight years with our Cap Horn windvane
and thought it was time to summarize how wonderful it has been.
We bought it because our auto pilot failed us several times and we were always hearing
similar stories from other cruisers. We studied the market very carefully for
wind steering systems. There are many around and most owners liked whatever they
had chosen. The main things we liked were simplicity and the fact that no power was consumed.
Our yacht is 11.1 meters and though sturdily built, is relatively fast and light in weight.
Until we found the Cap Horn, we did not like the idea of all that weight on the transom.
We were struck by the cleverness of design in the CapHorn and the elegant appearance.
We made enquiries and Yves Gelinas was extremely helpful answering questions.
Not long after, we ordered our Cap Horn and were pleased with the effort that went into
building it specifically to match
the characteristics of our yacht. We were even more pleased
when it arrived and we saw the very high level of engineering and workmanship.
Installation was relatively easy and we have used it almost non-stop since then.
The system is connected to our rudder circle via lines and blocks which we installed ourselves.
Occasionally, a block breaks due to metal fatigue and we simply replace it- a matter of
a few minutes, even if we are at sea. Perhaps we will change block manufacturer one day-
t is a sharp bend in the metal of the block housing that finally fractures (after several years).
Apart from the occasional block breakage, the CapHorn has been the most reliable
piece of equipment on our yacht. Recently, we had our first problem when a bolt broke
where the quadrant attaches to the horizontal tube. This damaged the quadrant,
which is the earliest design and has since been replaced by a stronger design.
The Cap Horn company has quickly sent us a new one from Canada to New Caledonia
(where we have currently sailed from Australia). All they have asked for is that we
pay the freight. This is the most amazing service and almost eight years since we purchased
Indeed, there are plenty of companies which provide almost no service
even within the warranty period.
So, WELL DONE Yves, Éric and others. You make a fantastic product, at a realistic price,
beautifully crafted, elegant to look at and your service is WONDERFUL..."
A big "thank you" from
David & Penny Kerr Pastime of Sydney, Sydney, Australia 08-27-2007
Message
received Oct. 2005 :
"I have cruised about
10,0000 miles over the past 15 months, using my CapeHorn for 98% of the
steering involved in those miles, and it works beautifully. Last
summer, my wife and I went from Seattle, WA to
Hawaii, then to Palmyra Atoll, back to Hawaii and on north to complete the
summer in Seattle. One month ago we sailed down the Pacific Coast from
Seattle to San Francisco, where our boat is currently tied up."
Received August 2007 :
"
The only new issue
with your remarkable piece of equipment is the vane itself. Hopefully the
picture makes it with this message
so you can see that the material has been severely battered by the sun and
seas.
Even so, it works flawlessly with
the sailcloth repair tape that now completely
enshrouds it. So, my hope is that you would be willing to send us a new vane and the top
plastic tube piece... We are surely capable of making a new one, but it
would not look as nice as your work.
We are working on the
circumnavigation, are still under 25,000 miles and within
the 5 year limit
of your very cool warranty"
Greg Krivonak, Jay Benford
34 Dory, junk-rigged Willow, 08-24-2007
 " CapeHorn Self-Steering, made it possible to be
free from the tiller for 99.9% of my trip.
Of 17300 nm, I only hand tilled along the coasts. I truly left the steering
to the CapeHorn during every storm and through all the conditions. If there
was enough wind to sail, the CapeHorn was steering."
Donna Lange, Southern Cross 28 Inspired Insanity
05-07-2006
 The system has worked
beautifully all summer and we are planning our first trans-Atlantic with
the boat (and the Toucana) next year.
The CapeHorn system is not well known at all in the UK and is generating
lots of interest. I keep giving out your web address – so I hope you get
some more custom!
Best wishes and many thanks for a great system."
Chris Cotton, Lyle Hess
Falmouth Cutter 30, Cloud 10-18-2005
"After only about 3000 nm, US East
Coast to the Azores via Bermuda, and 2 days in storm conditions with
Hurricane Danny, I send this early status report of its performance: One word,
Fantastic, describes it all. Plain and simple the best damn
piece of gear on the boat except maybe the hull. Enough said. You are a
genius."
Bob Cooley, Westsail 32 Journey
"I'm
now over 10,000 NM's into the Atlantic Island cruise and the CapeHorn has
steered 98% of the time. It is my number-1 most important tool on
the boat. The device is not only elegant looking but
a great performer
under ALL points of sail and wind conditions and you can "quote me".
Thanks for the GREAT product."
Don Goodspeed,
Swan 43 Cygnus
"It's
the best damn piece of equipment on my Alberg 30!"
Gregory Daum, Alberg 30 Georgia
"I am
very satisfied with the system and so far it has exceeded my expectations
in all areas. I have even had people come up to me to talk about the
boat and not even realize there is a self steering system on it.
It is that unobtrusive. I also installed a tiller pilot to operate the
system when under power. This worked flawlessly and held the course a lot
closer than I can. When I install my new GPS it will be tied into the tiller
pilot too."
Bob Shelton, Dickerson 36 Aequanimitas
"Yves
Gélinas tells us he first designed the CapeHorn for his Alberg 30 but I
believe he secretly had a HC43T in mind! The unit is simple, elegant and
works better than all our high expectations. It has steered us from New
York to Australia with little maintenance and looks as new as the day we
installed it. It has steered off the wind past Columbia in 30 knots and
15-foot seas, anywhere from two knots to nine knots of boat speed under
spinnaker, poled out genoa and mainsail to the Marquesas. It hunted the
fickle head winds to Galapagos and performed remarkably in all conditions in
between! Of all the wind vanes we have seen on cruising boats over the past
2 years, the CapeHorn is simply the best looking."
Christine and Michael Wiggins, Hans Christian 43T Ulu
"We have completed the installation of the CapeHorn Spray self-steerer on the
43' Hans Christian Prologue.
The owner then
departed for a ten day shakedown cruise and is absolutely ecstatic
about not only the performance of the unit, but also in the overall quality
of the product. During the installation (which went very
smoothly), there was a tremendous amount of interest from other owners in
the product and if it could be adapted to their vessels."
Neal and
Mary-Anna Cirlot, Venture Marine, San Diego
"As you
know I had previously sailed with Aries and Monitor vanes, although not with
a Fleming. The CapeHorn begins where the others left off!! It has to be
the most incredible experience in sailing I have felt in many, many years.
Upwind, dead downwind, spinnaker up, storm sails up, full main, fully reefed
main, close hauled, broad reaching "The Sorcerers' Apprentice' doesn't care.
He just does his job! Doesn't eat too much either! [...]Prior to leaving the
La Cruz area I finally got around to installing the Autohelm 1000 on my
CapeHorn - only after having to listen to Bill on "Prologue". My sistership
HC 43 that put a CapeHorn on in San Diego after seeing mine - rave about how
well his worked and how much better it was than his big Robertson autopilot.
He was right! Why I've been carrying around the Autohelm 1000 "in case my
Autohelm 6000 goes on the fritz" I'll never know! The CapeHorn/Autohelm
1000 works better than the 6000 ever did - and I have always liked the 6000.
The 1000 steers a better course, much truer, with far less effort and,
certainly, far less amps than the big one. [...] Enough extolling the
virtues of what I consider to be the finest piece of marine gear to come
down the pike in a long time."
Captain Keith E. Holmes, Hans Christian 43T Lady Guinevere
"We have
had all kinds of weather to test the Jean-du-Sud and it has performed
very well as usual. Yesterday we had a 35-40 knt gale and we left it to
look after the boat on a broad reach while we went below. We are now in
sight of the Greenland coast and will be making landfall at Nuuk which is
the capital."
Tony Wright,
Aloha 32 Meriah
"I
have been highly satisfied with its performance including an eight
day passage from Georgetown, Bahamas to Roadtown, BVI's. During this passage
the vane performed in winds over 55 knots during one 12 hour period and in
winds as low as 5 knots directly from aft and on both aft quarters, in
following seas of 10 to 25 feet, typically the hardest point of sail for a
vane. On other points of sail it has an easier time to steer.
(...) I installed it myself in two days with the very
comprehensive instructions included with the vane. Yves, the
builder, has engineered an impressive performing product that looks very
good.
(...)
I am very happy with it and
considering the options like Monitor which are expensive, ugly, run lines
through your cockpit, effectively ruin your swim platform, not to mention
over-advertised. I didn't see any real alternatives to the CapeHorn.
Highly recommended and a super product."
Greg Caws Beneteau Moorings 432
Alisee III
"Emotion
was great when we turned the helm of our Veliserdi over to our CapeHorn
; we
saw quickly that it was the best helmsman aboard! Thank you."*
Diane Messier
and Serge Charbonneau, Corbin 39 Veliserdi
"This
letter is long overdue and is intended to convey to you my complete
satisfaction with the CapeHorn self-steering system. I have used this
system extensively both when sailing and motorsailing during the past six
months during my voyage from Florida to Trinidad and it has performed
flawlessly. Not only is it an excellent functional member of my crew,
it is also the most aesthetic self-steering system on the market. Well
done."
Bruce
Richardson, Nicholson 31 Chance Encounter
"Since our
departure from N.-Sydney until Brest, our CapeHorn steered expertly and
without fault, even beyond our expectations."*
Daniel Chabot,
Kelt 8,5m Exil
"We are
very, very happy with our CapeHorn self-steerer. We often thought about
you, and about how simple and precise a self-steerer you have conceived. It
has been uncommonly faithful and we wish it becomes the pride of
thousands of boats." *
J -G. Petipas
and J -C Fréchette,
Mason 33 Petit Pas
"A few
words about our Jean-du-Sud. We are pleased. It did not take us through
hurricanes; however it did take us through a tropical storm. Because
all our front halyards were broken, we could not use a foresail, and with
only a triple reefed main, the Jean-du-Sud kept us on course for over 40
hours during which time we could not even go out into the cockpit. We
are pleased with the CapeHorn and recommend it to interested sailors."
Peter and
Pauline MacLean, Contessa 32 Pendragon
<
"The CapeHorn
gear worked wonderfully well throughout the trip. It was voted 'crew's pick
for best piece of equipment' after the trip south. Basically, if
there was any wind at all we did not steer the boat regardless of point
of sail."
Wilson Fitt, Benford 38 cutter Christina Grant
"The wind
was south at 20 - 25 and seas were huge. We were almost dead downwind under
120% genoa. We
are pleased and impressed as the CapeHorn handled all that down
wind sailing with big seas at least as well as we could have done hand
steering."
Gil and Judy
Steinfort,
Allied Seawind
32
ketch Daybreak
(After receiving the
CapeHorn, 06-11-95)
:
"You are
right : your windvane is a work of art!"
(After
reaching Tahiti, 08-24-96)
:"
I’ve had lots
of talks with other ‘yachties’ about their self-steerers. None seem to
perform as well as the CapeHorn. It’s too bad Consumer Reports (or
something like that) don’t do a comparative analysis. I think your CapeHorn
would win."
David Sanborn
Scott, Niagara 35 Starkindred
"Top
prize for equipment goes to the CapeHorn Self-Steering gear, which had
been personally installed by the designer/builder Yves Gélinas (merci
beaucoup, Yves !). It performed flawlessly: it must be the finest
piece of equipment we have ever used. "
Bruce Pettitt
and Jacqueline Giannini, Gozzard 32 Wave Equation
"Xapic,
our Westsail 32, made the passage from the Chesapeake to Puerto Rico via
Bermuda, and I just wanted to let you know that our CapeHorn vane
handled everything from long rounds of motoring (when I managed to
stumble into the center of the Bermuda High--we have a very ancient
TillerMaster--1976 model--tied to the CH auxiliary control via a throttle
cable) to squalls with 45-50 kt gusts with no problems at all. Cap'n Keven,
as we call our vane, is the most impressive piece of gear we have aboard
and our most reliable crewman. What a marvel of engineering and function
blended beautifully together."
Rick Kennerly Westsail 32 Xapic
"Rudy (our
CapeHorn) continues to steer us mile after mile with not a complaint. He is
truly remarkable and the most amazing crewmember we have ever had.
Coupled with Tillie at his shaft, he seems to smile while she tells him
where to steer. What more can we ask?"
Tom Patterson , Shannon 43 Satori
"I
do not think that any human being can steer the boat so precisely for so
long
and no Autopilot will do it as cheap as your system. It is worth every penny
I paid for it. "
Chris Katehis Alberg30 Kasia
"I sailed
for about an hour at a close reach at about 5.5 knots and the course never
changed more than 5 degrees. Unbelievable! I had never seen wind that
steady. Tried my auto-helm for comparison and it could do no better than 10
degrees. Bottom line : I am very impressed with the Varuna’s
performance. The stronger the wind, the better it steered."
Dieter P. Newman, Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 Christina
"When
someone says that their product is a work of art, and the best while being
the least expensive, their claims are usually met with some scepticism,
often deservedly so. Your CapeHorn steering system however has matched
your claims. When it first arrived, I marvelled over it for at least an
hour, partly for the exceedingly clever design you have come up with and
partly for the quality of the construction. Those welds are beautiful.
And there were two more surprises awaiting me : I arrived at the boat at
1:00 PM Friday. By Saturday at the same time, I was off on a test sail.
The installation was very straightforward. It would have taken even less
time had the boat not been swinging at her mooring.
The last surprise came on the test sail when I finally shut the motor off
and engaged the vane. I was expecting many many hours of tweaking and
adjusting and such. In fact, I was a little nervous about using it for the
first time. I had been looking forward to that moment for quite a while and
I didn’t want to be disappointed. Well I wasn’t! I engaged the lines and
off she went. What a thrill! I put about 50 miles on it that weekend and it
behaved beautifully. Bermuda feels a little closer."
Bryan Allen, Grampian 30
Gulliver
"The
vane worked exceedingly well.
We had some stormy weather, and as we ran under rolled up genoa, the vane
steered better than a human – the response was so fast. Very impressive.
Even under light airs, steers great. You certainly have designed and
produced a fantastic vane. Many admirers along the way south."
Ray Cumberworth, Wauquiez Prétorien 35 Puffins
.jpg) "By dawn it was blowing
in excess of 35 kts. in big seas, directly down wind. The
CapeHorn vane
kept us on a down wind course better than any crew could steer. This was
the acid test -- the boat did not broach once and the
CapeHorn vane operated without flaw.
I am over delighted with your system!
"I must compliment
you on your design, use of superior materials and ease of understand your
installation instructions for your
Jean-du-Sud,
CapeHorn Self Steering Vane. I was very impressed with the installation
simplicity by following your written instructions. Merci pour le pouvoir du
cerveau."
Capt DaveFerneding, Pearson
Alberg 35 Cielo
"The CapeHorn
Self-steering unit is wonderful! It works on all points of sail and
seems to excel when the wind really starts blowing. After our hydraulic
steering was disabled during a knock down on the passage to New Zealand,
our CapeHorn steered flawlessly for the next four
days in 40 to 70 knot winds. We were always happy with it, but now we
truly love it.' In my opinion no serious offshore
boat should be without some sort of self-steering gear. Auto Pilots break
and demand a lot of electricity. We especially like how the unit looks,
very unobtrusive, on the transom of Never Monday."
[ www.nevermonday.com]
John
Ferguson and Diana Ruff, Morgan Out Island 33 Never Monday
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