The B&B windvane will soon be available as a set of plans OR a partial kit that will include some of the more fiddly bits. The purpose of a wind-vane self steering device is to allow the skipper to do something other than sitting at the helm. While not practical for many smaller un-ballasted boats it is an essential tool for the cruising sailor. We have been testing our windvane on the Core Sound 17 Mark 3 which has an excess of stability and a perfect candidate for self steering. This design can be adapted to any small boat and will work on any boat in the right conditions. The "vane" portion provides the input. It is rotated to point into the wind on the desired course. The force of the wind cause the vane to "tip" if the course deviates which in turn produces a correcting movement on the auxiliary rudders trim tab thus turning the boat back on course.
Highlighted below on Graham's Core Sound 17 Mark 3 'Carlita'. This design requires open air space above the transom so it won't work on a standard Core Sound 17 due to the proximity of the mizzen sheets. The addition of a boomkin allows the mizzen sheet to be behind the reach of the windvane sail. Scroll down to the bottom to see what is currently available for this design. Features of windvane design include:
Plans for this windvane will include full size templates for all parts along with critical dimensions, recommended materials and things to watch out for. Some dimensions of the vane do not matter and allow this design to be fitted to almost all transom shapes and rake angles with proper mounting. The name of the game is LOW FRICTION with windvane self steering devices. We also plan to offer a kit of components to help you get started.