What are Jimmy's comments on the Windpilot he uses?
What are Jimmy's comments on the Windpilot he uses? (I think it must be the Pacific MF4 model) since I own a Trisbal 36 (more or less the same as an OVNI of the same length) and I'd wish to install one. What about the electric pilot used with the Windpilot? You used to use a Hydrovane windvane steering system. I would be very interested to know whether either system is clearly better than the other and, if so, which is best and why. Did you switch from the Hydrovane to the Windpilot because the former did not work satisfactorily?
Yes, I use a Windpilot Pacific self-steering gear (1998) and I am reasonably happy with it. Occasionally I use a small autopilot (Navico) as a back-up to my main autopilot (Brookes & Gatehouse), especially in light winds as the Navico uses less power. The system works but, as I said, I use it mainly as an emergency back-up. The make of the pilot is not important as long as it is of the push-pull type that can be connected to the Windpilot's windvane frame.
I switched from Hydrovane to WindPilot because I felt that the Hydrovane system may not be powerful enough for a 43 ft boat. The Hydrovane worked well on my previous, 40 ft boat, so I could not state that one is better than the other. Both have certain limitations, and in fact all wind operated self-steering systems have some limitations, so I prefer to have both a windvane and a reliable autopilot - and I advise anyone setting off on a long voyage to follow my example.
Lectures and seminars 2010
