[Public-List] Cape Horn self-steering

[Hugh McCormack]

Greetings all,

Quite some time ago I was in touch with a list member following his query 
about the Cape Horn self steering system.  I can't find that email exchange 
and I don't have his address so I am hoping he will see this on the list.

I had the Jean-du-Sud model installed in Longueuil while en route from 
Sarnia to Newfoundland in July.  The first opportunity to use the system was 
the morning after leaving Quebec City.  We were able to sail for over an 
hour without touching the tiller before the NW wind was blanketed by the 
hills on the north shore of the St. Lawrence and we had to motor.  
Subsequent calm conditions meant that it was a couple of days before we were 
able to sail again.  We sailed non stop from Rimouski to Riviere au Renard 
(on the Gaspe coast) for a total of 37 hours.  The self steering was in use 
for all but the last 2.5 hours of the passage.

The final leg of the voyage was a 60 hour passage from Riviere au Renard to 
Trout River on the west coast of Newfoundland.  The self steering was used 
for the first 45 hours but failing and shifting winds meant that we had to 
motor the final 15 hours.  Yves has allowed for the connection of an 
electric autohelm to his system and he provides the appropriate linkage.  If 
I had my time back (and the money!!) I would have installed one before 
leaving Longueuil.  I have no doubt that it would have relieved some of the 
tedium of steering continuously for 15 hours and it would have made it 
easier on some of the other periods of extended motoring.

I am extremely happy with the investment.  The system is simple and easy to 
understand and operate.  The installation is not particularly difficult but 
I was happy to let Yves' nephew Eric Siccotte do the work.  He has done it 
so often that he was able to do it in one longish day.  I would probably 
have taken much longer than that.  There are some parts of the work that 
require precision.

I found the owner's manual to be quite useful and the hardest part of 
learning how to use the system is finding the right rig adjustment (the 
system requires a light weather helm and can be over worked by excessive 
weather helm) to avoid oversteering.

I found that the system is very sensitive and it takes some practice to find 
the right settings for downwind sailing in light winds (<10 knots) with a 
following sea that is greater than 1 metre.  I also found that the boat 
tended to wander back and forth when experiencing a following sea on the 
quarter in light airs.  It seems that lack of forward speed, coupled with 
the servo blade being partially out of the water as the boat pitches on the 
seas, limits the power developed by the servo blade.  Another possibility is 
that I may not have enough weather helm taken out of my boat's setup.

Otherwise I am glad I have the system.  It made watch keeping a lot easier 
for my partner on the gulf crossing (she is new to open water voyaging over 
extended distances and time) and it meant that we could take turns sleeping 
without having to worry about needing relief from the helm every time nature 
called.

I would be happy to answer further questions and provide more details 
off-list.

Cheers,

Hugh

_________________________________________________________________
Get Cultured With Arts & Culture Festivals On Live Maps 
http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca&v=2&cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!2010&encType=1&style=h&FORM=SERNEP


 1191340395.0