I built a self steering wind vane for Audasea, an M17. After 3 attempts, I got a model that worked very well. Based on Jan Alkema's RHM concept, version 2 can be seen here: http://www.mindspring.com/~waltmur/Self-Steering/advanced.htm I built it with Walt and Jan's help. Regrettably, Walt has passed away. Walt was a retired engineer and sailor, whose passion in his last few years was helping guys like me, from all over the world, build low cost and effective wind vane self-steering setups. The RHM concept with upside down vane works extremely well. The really hard part of getting a good wind vane setup is sailing off the wind. The USD RHM does it well. Due to the backstays, I wasn't able to use one, but for an M15 it would work. Lacking that, study up on sheet to tiller setups. Very inexpensive and when you get it right, just as effective. Tod Mills and BuscaBrisas are evidence of that. You haven't lived until you have been passed by Busca with Tod sitting on the cabin, leaning back against the mast, reading a book, while his sheet to tiller setup steers the boat past you. http://www.msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17busca/b17busca7.jpg On Oct 9, 2007, at 10:45 AM, Jim Sadler wrote:
Have any of you skippers installed self steering on your M-15? I once had Aries windvane on my 32 ft Islander and it worked very well. I am considering installing self steering on the Pelican but don't know what is out there on the horizon.
Captain James Albert Sadler skipper sailing vessel Pelican M-15 jimsadler@jascopacific.com
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats