Monitor Windvane

[Quetzalsailor]

Here's the beginning of the thread that Rachel suggested.

My experience with the Monitor includes several attempts to learn how to use it over the first part and the four full seasons that we've owned Quetzal. I started with the instructions (uncharacteristically, Sue would say). I talked it through with the manufacturer whom I met at the Annap boatshow and he gave me additional instructions and the DVD. He is, of course, eager to have me happy. I talked with him again in October and he asked whether the boat was hard to steer and by that he was asking how much effort it took to turn the wheel. He says that you should be able to turn the wheel with two fingers (but I have bigger fingers than most people). He also said that the control lines should be small dia. You can see pictures of Q's setup on the Monitor site for North East 38s.

I have been able to set the boat up in ideal conditions (10+ish relative and no chop) and have her hold her course relative to the wind and speed without touching the helm. I could sheet the main home a smidge and she'd head up a few degrees and the helm would turn. I could free the main a bit and she'd bear off. In medium air and chop, she wants a passel of steering. In light air and chop, she's slow and unresponsive. In heavy air she charges along and wants to be steered.

I'm clearly doing nothing about this until the spring when I'll go over the steering to see that everything is properly lubricated and that the cables are not too tight. It's quite possible that I'm simply used to how hard it is, bit it doesn't seem all that difficult. I'll also renew the control lines, including the teaser and the shock cord.

And here are two posts extracted from the Folkboat post (One of the quirks of this site is how you can't navigate away from a 'live post in progress' and get back to it. I copied the relevant posts to my desktop and then into this post. Another quirk is how it times out if you walk away.):

<<<<Quetzal,

I debated starting a new thread, but since it's really about your boat, I felt that I should leave it up to you (if you want to continue discussing the Monitor, perhaps we could make this post and your last query part of a new "Monitor" thread?)

Anyway, I was just going to say that I've used a Monitor and really liked it. The boat wasn't "squirrely" per se (Baba 30), but I'd read that it was very important to have as little friction in the system as possible, so we worked hard to make it that way. Also (as I'm sure you know), the boat wants to be well balanced before you engage the Monitor?

So when you say the "steering is too stiff" do you mean that the rudder is just hard to move for some reason (i.e. even at anchor), or that you have a lot of "helm," or that there is a lot of friction in lines leading to the Monitor?

One other thing we found indispensable - and that I'm not sure is always rigged up with a Monitor - is the "micro adjustment" line. This was a line that went from a horizontal "wheel" on the monitor to a block we had attached to a stanchion near the helm. An "endless loop" of line on this set-up (picture one of those systems they used in the inner city to put laundry out to dry and then gather it back in) allowed for very fine adjustments to the Monitor by manually moving the wheel in the stanchion block.

Rachel>>>>

<<<<(the Folkboat guy) As far as my experience with the Monitor goes--IT IS MAGICAL!!! I have nothing bad to say...I can understand sailors who go from the Autopilot "straight line" approach to the Monitor approach feeling as if the Monitor is all over the place and out of control...but if your boat is balanced out... and not overpowered...the Monitor will steer and steer and steer....I even tack with mine :) My friend just recently sailed in the Singlehanded Transpac race to Hawaii...and literally set the vane right outside the Golden Gate and had to readjust only a few times before reaching Hanalei....Pretty Cool! I do have an ST 4000 Autopilot that I use for motoring purposes...but if there is wind my Monitor is steering...What sort of problems are you having with your Monitor?>>>>

[Shoalcove]

I've got a Monitor and quite like it but I am no expert and have a couple issues to work out. I messed with mine for 2 summers and couldn't get it to work right until a friend came out one day and pointed out a set-up error. My boat (CL35) is well balanced and hid the fact that it was set up wrong until it blew hard then it went to crap. Once fixed it works better the harder it blows! My biggest problem is that my steering has too many turns from hard over and therefore the Monitor can only make modest corrections. Balance is key. Check to ensure the leads are correct, also check that the lines on the wheel are oriented so that the wheel can make a 270 degree turn - not 90.
I love when it's dialed in and you can sit back and watch it do the work. Best of luck.
David