Easily the best money I have spent for gear on a sailboat has been for the various windvane self-steering gears my boats have sported. Having a vane gear makes for easier, better and safer sailing. I'd rank the self steering gear as the make or break system for enjoyable and safe cruising.
Some folks on the other hand, see auto pilots as the answer. But my experience with autopilots has been less than wonderful in terms of durability and energy use, which is more than enough to keep me on the windvane team all by itself. For me, the big downside in autopilots has to be that on a sailboat there is a real advantage in steering a wind course vs a compass course in both terms of performance and safety (and yes, I am aware that you can have an autopilot steer a wind course but it is not their forte). Of course autopilots are the bee's knees for those who motor everywhere...
You might want to take a look at this article Windvane Vs Autopilot as it pretty much covers all the needful stuff, dots the I's and crosses the T's! Plus it has the great advantage of not being written by someone who is trying to sell you a vane or an autopilot!
Plans Change, Martinique version
1 day ago
